Debaucherous Pastime
by Lueur-de-L'aube
Summary: Soul wasn't quite sure how everything ended up so horribly. He had truly thought that after that embarrassing encounter with Maka, things couldn't get any weirder. He was mistaken…how the hell did he end up getting educated about sex by a cat?
1. Of embarrassing encounters

**Chapter One **

**Of embarrassing encounters, the underhandedness of puppy dog eyes and unexpected sex ed**

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Soul was cool. It was a fact; it was something that could not be denied. And he certainly wasn't talking about his younger years when his coolness manifested itself in an unhealthy body posture and drooling. No, with his seventeen years of age, Soul could quite confidently tell that he was without a doubt cool. He was a Death Scythe, which could barely be topped in its coolness, he had awesome friends and he had an amazing partner.

And this was where his problems began and his coolness always seemed to vanish like some wannabe-ninja with a puff of smoke .

His amazing partner…he would never call her that to her face of course but he would occasionally and inwardly refer to Maka as just that. She was after all the one who made him into a Death Scythe. She was tremendously skilled, not to mention incredibly smart and consequently an occupational bookworm that never managed to get the rules of basketball right because she always preferred to be stuck inside her room and read. But that was beside the point…sure, it could get annoying but it was one of Maka's lesser annoying qualities.

The number one annoying aspect about his amazing partner was her stubbornness, very closely followed by her short temper and with the third place going to her sudden violent outbursts, which always resulted with his head abused to the point of almost cracked open by the blow of a ridiculously large tome. But it was having these three aspects combined what really turned his days from having a few moments of mostly undeserved agony to whole days of utter misery of feeling like an overused punch bag. He didn't want to sound whiny (no, after all he was cool and he was a Death Scythe) but as of late, it was very difficult to cope with Maka's anger problems.

It seemed like whenever he did something or didn't do anything at all set her immediately off. Admittedly, he could be a pain in the ass sometimes but recently, his mere existence was apparently a very painful thorn in her side. Suffice to say, it was getting irritating and trying to confront her about her behaviour had so far proven to be fruitless.

"_It's all your fault, Soul!"_

Seriously, even if she didn't want to tell him what was truly bothering her, she could at least be a bit more creative with her explanations. They could count themselves lucky that they hadn't been sent on any missions lately, since any attempts at Soul Resonance would equal shit. This wasn't like her at all. It was one thing to be constantly pissed at him but it was another thing for the dutiful Maka Albarn to completely disregard any serious consequences and dangers for their partnership. As much as Maka's radical behaviour annoyed him, it worried him even more.

That was why he had decided to confront her again and not to accept any lame excuses and explanations and if it really was needed, he would force it out of her. How? He had no idea; since any such attempt would certainly be destroyed, the instant an encyclopaedia would connect with his skull.

He had been watching some stupid show in the television the whole time and had hoped that Maka would eventually come out of her room and keep him some company as it had been common practice. He had wanted to start a casual conversation with her, maybe make some random remarks about the TV show and then try to inconspicuously direct their talk to the problem at hand. He had no such luck. He wasn't sure but he had the suspicion that she was purposefully avoiding him. Had she truly come to hate him after all these years? If he had asked himself such a question a few weeks ago, he would have vehemently and quite certainly answered in the negative but as of now he wasn't so sure anymore.

Shaking his head and turning the TV off, putting the remote control on to the small table in front of him, he stood up from the comfortable couch and headed towards Maka's room. He would get it out of her. This idiocy couldn't continue any longer, for the sake of their partnership and his sanity, whose potential slippage couldn't even be blamed on the black blood this time.

Rapping lightly against her door out of habit but not really intending to go away when she shouldn't answer or tell him off, he put his hand readily on her doorknob. He waited patiently for an answer, in spite of the maddening urge to just burst in and to interrogate her.

"What is it Soul?"

He growled silently to himself. She sounded oddly breathless and as pissed as ever, not even her stupid books seemed to be able to lift her mood in the slightest. Sighing heavily, he gently pressed the doorknob down but not enough to open her door.

"Can I come in?" he asked, trying not to show his own irritation through his voice.

"Why?" she asked with a dry tone.

"Just because."

"No."

"What? Why not?"

"Just because."

"I want to talk to you, Maka," it took a lot not barge in and strangle her. How could one person be so infuriating?

"We can talk later. I don't want to right now."

"No, we need to talk now!" he snapped and without any warning, he opened the door and stepped into her room and prayed silently that she was dressed and wouldn't attack him immediately with a book. Out of reflex, he held out an arm protectively in front of him.

"SOUL! Didn't I just tell you-"

"I don't give a damn!" he shouted, silencing her effectively. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, trying to appear as relaxed as possible, although any pretence of being calm was already blown out of the window with his small outburst. He frowned and put his hands into his pockets.

"Soul, what are-"

"Shut up!" he snapped and he didn't know what it exactly was that really did silence her, since the past few weeks she had only gotten angrier whenever he had yelled at her but for the time being he could care less. He wasn't going to be so stupid and waste the minutes of silence. "Let me speak at first, it's important."

She opened her mouth, an indignant frown already appearing on her face, but this time he growled and continued, not leaving her the chance to say anything, "How do you thing we will be able to resonate souls, if this keeps continuing? And don't look at me like that and start spouting shit like _'Oh, but Soul nothing is wrong. You're simply a jerk, that's all'_" he even raised the pitch of his voice to imitate her, sounding a bit like a dying opera singer. "What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong, Soul, you're…", she began but caught herself quickly and before she could repeat his mocking sentence nearly word for word, she clenched her fists and said, "Get out."

"Forget it! I'm not going until you tell me why you're like this."

"Like what?"

_Do not yell. Do not yell. Do not yell!_

Whilst he was desperately fighting to maintain at least a semblance of cool composure, Maka apparently got tired of him and his quite impressive display of his quickly changing mimic as he tried his best not to glare, frown, scowl or grimace and with a tiny huff she said, "Get out."

He really wanted do nothing more than scream out his irritation but he refrained from doing so, instead Soul decided to use another tactic. Getting angry with her and yelling at her wasn't going to get him any answers, so it was time to put on the cloak of the worried, soft and tortured partner. That this was partially true, he blocked out completely. It didn't really make for a cool image and since his coolness had in the past weeks already suffered a lot of damages, he certainly didn't want to further any of it.

"Maka," he called out tentatively and approached her slowly, inwardly sighing with relief that she hadn't physically lashed out at him yet. He touched her shoulder gingerly and sat next to her, making her look at him and with this he gave her the best puppy dog eyes he could offer. He loathed it that he had to lower himself to such means but as he had over the time come to realize that it actually did work on Maka, he occasionally and very rarely found himself applying this underhanded method.

He had to admit that in those exceedingly rare times he used his puppy dog eyes, Maka always seemed to fulfil every of his desires. It wasn't even two months ago when he had wanted to have fish for dinner and Maka hating fish with a passion had at first vehemently spoken against it. But then had come the Ultimate Puppy Dog Eyes and she had made him fish. Or when he had once again wanted to skip the first class and Maka being The Nerd would have never allowed him to sleep in…if it hadn't been for his puppy dog eyes coupled with his bedroom eyes. It was a deadly and very effective combo. There was also the time when he had wanted to-

Maybe he was using the puppy dog eyes more than he should. But right now, using them was essential.

"If you really are pissed at me, could you at least be so kind and tell me what exactly I did this time? I don't even know why you hate me!" he continued, his voice louder than he had intended it to be. Damn it! He sounded too forceful but he could tell that his words did not leave her unaffected, so he continued, this time more quietly and making sure his eyes looked big and pained and pleading, "I don't know what has happened or what I did but I'm really worried Maka. But if you don't want to tell me…then…I…" he trailed off, eyes quivering in a very heartbreaking manner (how he managed to pull that one off was even a mystery to himself).

"I don't hate you," Maka mumbled and averted her eyes, looking somewhere, everywhere but him.

The weight that seemed to have been on his very being, pushing him mercilessly down the whole time, didn't feel as heavy as before. He blinked, his puppy dog gaze vanishing, and stared dumbly at his meister, who was fidgeting uneasily under his gaze. He took her tiny almost whispered answer as an improvement to every other exchange of words they had shared the past weeks. He gulped and clenched his right hand into a fist in his pocket as a heavy, nearly suffocating silence settled between them.

Neither of them spoke, instead both opting to stare. He stared at her and she stared at her bare feet.

"Just tell me. What did I do to upset you this much?" he eventually asked, fighting the urge to just grimace at his words - he sounded like some rejected lover that had done something wrong - he put his palm on her shoulder and shook her slightly. This was ridiculous! He had done nothing and had to pretend that he was at fault for their strained partnership. This approach was probably and hopefully going to be more effective than volleying insults and accusations back and forth. His touch was still very cautious and he almost anticipated the moment she would viciously attack him for one reason or another but ignoring all the warnings in his head, he squeezed her shoulder.

He was about to say something again but she spoke before he could get any words out.

"It really is nothing, Soul," she said flatly, still avoiding his eyes.

"Bullshit!" he snapped and ran a hand feverishly through his tousled hair, barely suppressing an exasperated groan afterwards. What a stubborn woman! "You're a horrible liar, Maka, and an even worse actress."

"I'm not lying. It's not my fault if your imagination gets the better of you!" she said, her voice dangerously low and holding a slight warning. But as of now Soul didn't give a damn about any warnings or any potential threats by books. They had danced around this for a far too long time and if they still wanted to function properly as a team, things needed to be cleared up. So he decided to use an even more underhanded method than his Ultimate Puppy Dog Eyes. He even felt a bit guilty but she had brought this on herself.

"Don't you want me as your partner anymore?" he asked, his voice low and hesitant and although he was asking that to guilt-trip her, he couldn't ignore the annoying wave of anxiety that made him gulp loudly. What if this was her reason to act so hostile towards him? Maybe she wanted to create enough of a rift between them to make a split-up easier.

"Don't be stupid, Soul," she said and snorted. In spite of her clear and confident answer, she didn't really display such a confidence. She was avoiding any eye contact and obstinately kept her gaze down. "Why do you think that-"

"Why do I think that you don't want me as your partner anymore? You're ignoring me, you are getting angry at me for no reason and just hit me whenever I try to…to…to talk to you!"

"I am not that bad," she said indignantly and narrowed her eyes but still didn't look up at him.

He let out a bitter laugh at that. Was she just in denial or did she just lie on purpose? "Whatever your reason is to behave like some maniac, it is completely irresponsible."

"What?"

"If this continues, we probably won't be able to align our soul wavelengths anymore. You of all people should be well aware of that," he said and watched her face change from disgusted annoyance to sombre and guilty.

He stuffed his hands into his pockets and clenched his hands, heaving a harsh sigh. He already hated himself for his next words. "Don't you think that it would be the best to end things once for all?"

This gave him her undivided attention, at last. Her head suddenly snapped up and her wide green eyes met his with uncontained shock and dread. He was almost inclined to take his words back; her heartbroken expression was truly unbearable to look at without feeling like the dirtiest bastard on earth. But he didn't, he stubbornly kept his scowl and stared her down indifferently as if the prospect to dissolve their partnership was not something that would break him as much as her. He stood up and stretched his arms with a sigh. He couldn't remain sitting next to her whilst she was staring at him like that. He felt bad enough that he was pretending to want to end their partnership.

"You-you can't probably…you won't leave…right?" she asked, voice quivering and meek. She didn't even try to put up a strong front!

He sighed again and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before he looked at her once more and winced inwardly at her large pleading eyes. "Tell me what's wrong Maka?" he asked in a gentle voice.

She immediately glanced down…again, finding a great interest in her jittery hands. He decided to remain silent, although he wanted nothing more but shout, plead and yell at her for being so avoidant. This was not the Maka he knew. Although it silence wasn't uncommon between them, the tense quietness that settled between them now was more than unnerving. He realized just now how much out of breath he was, his breaths almost bordering on gasps as if he had physically exerted himself the last minutes. He vaguely wondered if she could hear his frantic heartbeats and feel how much he was dreading her answer, not quite sure what to expect. What would he do if she wanted their partnership dissolved? Quickly get a new partner and forget and be done with him? Soul would never accept that. At least not until she gave him a valid explanation for such a decision. But she certainly and fortunately didn't give the impression of wanting that. It was quite the opposite.

But what was bothering her? What could be so horrible that she found herself unable to confide in him? They had been already through so much…it couldn't possibly be that bad, could it?

He was so deep in thought that he almost missed her timid voice calling out for him.

"Soul?" her head suddenly jerked into his direction again, her eyes wide and her face flushed.

He raised his eyebrows quizzically and tried his best to appear as relaxed as possible. She didn't seem to be in a violent mood, which was a bit helpful. His shoulders - despite his best intentions to appear calm and collected - were absurdly tense and squared as if he was about to confront a dangerous enemy rather than his meister. Soul wasn't sure if her reserved and cautious demeanour in contrast to her angry stubbornness was an improvement. It was a bit unnerving. She could barely look him in the eyes and kept glancing away. She looked so uncertain and shy; two adjectives he barely found himself associating with his meister, the latter even less.

"What is it?" he asked calmly.

"It's…it's…eh," she trailed off, looking so unsure that Soul just wanted to grab her by the shoulders firmly and shake some sense into her. Was it that bad? Should he be worried? Even more worried than he already was? Why couldn't she just say something stupid was bothering her and put his mind at ease? But seeing her like this…blushing like…like a…like a…he didn't even have comparison to anything! Honestly, what was it with her and this stupid mood swings, although her so-called mood-swings had only consisted of being angry, being angrier and being utterly livid. But now…what? Was it some hormonal thing? Was she on the rag?

At this he had to grimace. He hoped that she wasn't going to confirm that! He might have been desperate for an answer but he certainly didn't have the need to know her bodily condition so well.

"Soul…I…it's just that…," Soul leaned closer to her. She was talking so quietly that he could barely understand her and when he thought she was finally going to give him a straight answer she just sighed dejectedly and looked away once more, "It's nothing important actually. Just go away."

"What?" was all he could mutter. He stared at her with a dumbfounded expression, his mouth agape. He looked like a moron and not to mention totally uncool. He caught himself quickly, however, and his surprise was soon replaced with an all-too-familiar irritation.

"Makaaa," he ground out lowly, "Do you honestly think that I'm going to believe that shit?" He tried to stay calm, he really did yet he couldn't hide the angry edge in his voice. It was simply impossible if one had to confront such resolute pigheadedness.

Maka huffed haughtily, the blush and the whole disturbing meek personality gone, and turned around as she wrapped her flowery blanket around herself. "Leave."

He scoffed and ran a hand through his hair slowly, gripping his white strands firmly, and hissed in frustration. What the fu-

And then his eyes widened as realization dawned on him. Could it be? He gasped as his hand fell limply to his side.

"Wait! You're pregnant?"

"What?" she shrieked indignantly and turned around, some odd mixture of a murderous glare and the apparent urge to look anywhere but him on her face as her cheeks turned a bright red. It could have been a very funny situation, really. With her turning a brighter shade of red with each passing second, resembling more and more a tomato with loose pigtails attached to it but Soul couldn't really bring himself to laugh now. For one, sheer mortification washed over him as he belatedly realized what he had just said. And Maka's hand was just twitching dangerously close to the thickest book next to her.

"How…Why did you get such an impression?" She ground out between her teeth, palm now flatly resting on top of the book.

"I…uh…I…I mean…uh…uh…"

Oh, shit, shit, shit! He was so dead!

"Yes, Soul. I'm waiting."

With a frenzied gust of desperation, he finally managed to speak with coherent words. "What was I supposed to think!" he yelled, his voice rising in pitch with the last word, "All you do is hitting me and saying that it's my fault, although I do nothing! And your stupid mood swings…and you never tell me anything as if it's the most embarrassing thing in the world…so…I thought that maybe…"

"And so you came to the illogical conclusion that I'm pregnant?"

His desperation was slowly but surely being replaced by anger as he recalled how often he had been accused of things he hadn't done and had been punished for with her nerdy abuse. Thus he couldn't help but add bitterly, "Who knows, maybe you did finally manage to get laid."

And he knew, the moment he uttered it, it was the wrong thing to say. For one, he hadn't gotten laid himself, so it was quite a hypocritical thing to say and cool guys weren't supposed to be hypocrites. And secondly, Maka, grabbing her book, furiously lunged out at him. Reacting quickly and fearing more than for his life, he managed to grab her wrist, the book falling down. Blinking, momentarily confused he had actually managed to stop her attack, he wasted no time to use her blinding wrath against her and grabbed her other wrist too, effectively restraining her.

"M-Maka," he bit out as she kicked his shin, struggling against his wavering hold with enraged strength. "Hey…I'm sorry-"

"Let me go!" she yelled, throwing herself with all her might against him. He stumbled backwards hitting the wall behind him with a groan yet managed to stand on both of his legs, clutching Maka's wrist with renewed determination. He would be so dead if he let her go.

"Maka, listen," he winced when her knee connected with the side of his leg painfully, "I shouldn't have said that, I'm sorry. Calm down!"

"I don't want to calm down!" she shouted, her face flushed with rage, and buried her fist in his stomach forcefully, making his grip on her wrist loosen.

Soul had enough. This was going too far. He wouldn't let himself get beaten into a bloody pulp over such an idiotic thing. She was overreacting! Again! Gritting his teeth, he grasped her upper arms and pushed against her with his body. Maka let out a surprised squeak as she stumbled over her own feet and lost her balance, relying on his hold on her as not to fall down. The expression on her face was nothing short of hilarious yet he didn't have enough time to dwell on it. He had to restrain her somehow in order to talk some sense into her. He shortly contemplated tying her up.

He yelped when Maka hooked her foot around his ankle. Not reacting fast enough, he tripped crashing straight into Maka, making her fall backwards both of them wincing at the contact. Luckily, they had landed on the bed, which had softened their fall somewhat. He wanted to allow himself three seconds to collect his wits and limbs but Maka didn't seem to need it. She immediately began to struggle beneath him, kicking and punching uncontrollably against everything she could find.

"Get off, you pervert!" she yelled, landing a kick between his legs.

He toppled over, yelping pathetically, but tried to ignore the pain in order to restrain his mad meister. He growled dangerously, his eyes narrowed into deep red slits as he captured her wrists in his hands and pinned them down onto the soft mattress underneath them. He quickly pressed his legs against hers, ceasing their incessant moving at least for a bit. They were both panting heavily as they glared into each other's eyes. Soul did not care at the moment that if someone were to suddenly burst into the room, would surely mistake their tangled limbs, heavy breathing and flushed faces for another activity altogether.

"You…," he began with a harsh intake of breath, "…damn, stubborn woman. Why are you so…so…so…damn violent?"

"Shut up. And get off," she said slowly, green eyes flashing with another set of violent promises, as she suddenly jerked her arms forward in an attempt to free herself. She almost succeeded but Soul had an iron-like grip on her.

He sighed harshly. He truly had to force some answers out of her, huh? How ridiculous. He was still amazed that he had actually managed to do this to her and had survived the whole ordeal…he had even accomplished to block a Maka Chop! Giddy with his newfound ability, he almost let his guard down when she moved her legs and hips against him, causing him to grunt when she hit his knee, but fortunately, he didn't lose his hold on her completely.

"When you tell me what's wrong with you, I'll let you go," he said, finding it harder and harder to restrain her with her unceasing struggling and moving. He stared intensely into her eyes, wordlessly urging her to finally give him a straight answer. Their staring contest continued for a while, Soul didn't know for how long, but the ticking of her clock and the unbearable silence, made it as if it stretched on for hours. Neither of them looked away, stubbornly refusing to forfeit. He groaned and moved his legs a bit, trying to get into a more comfortable position, never once breaking their eye contact as he did so. How he was supposed to get into a more comfortable position when he was on top of his meister, he didn't quite know yet pushing the thoughts about their compromising position and everything that was associated with it to the back of his mind, he finally managed to settle somehow comfortably half on her and half on the mattress.

But then she threw her head back, closed her eyes and her lips parted, letting out the most peculiar of noises he had ever heard her make. Her eyes snapped quickly open, staring at him with shock. He could only look dubiously down at her, noticing a renewed blush on her cheeks. He tilted his head questioningly to the side, not quite sure, what had just transpired between them.

"Soul, I-"

But he didn't give her the chance to explain herself as he repeated the motion of his leg and knee from seconds before that had apparently caused her to react like this. And it happened again, her eyes closed and her lips parted in a harsh gasp. He did it again, eliciting the same noise. Too entranced by her flushed face and the little noises that escaped her, he didn't stop the motion. He wanted more of it and kept moving his knee against her.

"S-Soul…you…ah…"

He grinned down at her, watching her face intently, her hooded eyes meeting his for a short second before they closed. She didn't even struggle against him, the only sign of resistance she showed was that she bit her lip to prevent herself from making these cute gasping noises. He applied more pressure against her with his knee, his heart hammering at her voice, although she refused to release her lip. Yet she seemed unable to stay silent and instead of gasping, she was…whimpering?….moani-

"Ah! Soul!"

Yep, she was moaning….his name and it was-

Wait! What?

He stopped all of his movements immediately and for the first time broke his gaze away from her and looked down to his legs and…what the hell had he been doing!His knee was right between her legs!

What. Had. He. Done?

He…he had been rubbing his knee against her groin. Oh God, were her panties actually wet? He didn't know if he was blushing or blanching from the utter embarrassment at his thoughtless actions spreading through his very being. He didn't know if it was stupidity or silent resignation when he risked a shameful glance at his partner's face, whose expression mirrored his own: Wide eyes, red face and mouth agape in mortification. He noticed how he was still pinning her down by her wrists and how their legs were still entangled and how just one accidental movement might be the cause of a repetition of the recent events.

He immediately backed off, jumping from the bed and crashing ungracefully onto the floor on his butt. He stood up quickly, eyes still wide and face impossibly red, coercing himself to look into her eyes once more to make it clear that it had been an accident, that he was sorry and that he didn't mean for it to happen.

"I'm so-sorry," he gulped, trying to stutter as little as possible and trying to keep his eyes locked on hers, "I'm really sorry."

Okay this was it. He couldn't bear to stand here any longer. Without saying anything else, without offering an explanation, he took a few steps back, blindly reaching for the doorknob. He sighed with relief when his fingers grasped it, opening the door fast, he walked out without any further words.

When he reached his room, he practically tore the door open and stepped inside, shutting it behind him swiftly. He leaned against it, sliding down as his quivering legs betrayed him. He had to look ridiculous. His heart was beating furiously against his ribs, beads of sweat drenching his forehead and his chest was heaving. He was completely out of breath as if had just managed to avoid a serial killer who had the insane desire to castrate him. Exhaling harshly, he gripped his head with both of his hands, pulling at his hair in a frustrated manner. He growled as he recalled what had just happened seconds before.

Okay, okay, okay. Taking in a deep breath in a fruitless attempt to calm himself down, he closed his eyes. He had just gone into his meister's room in order to take her to task. He had wanted to have some damn answers for her weird behaviour, at last! Everything had passed as he had imagined with Maka blaming him and being stubborn. And then he just had to make that stupid remark about her being pregnant and she just had to react petulantly about that! And then he had made everything worse when he made the other stupid remark about her having finally managed to get laid.

Oh, he was an idiot and he was never going to learn his lesson.

And then the verbal battle had gotten out of hand and had become a wrestling match, in which he had barely been able to keep the upper hand. And then the wrestling match had continued on _her bed_! In retrospect, he had to admit that he should have stopped everything at that point. But nooooo….he hadn't! And then it had happened and he hadn't even noticed it at first!

He had been too entranced by the noises she had made. They hadn't been really moans but tiny gasps, hisses and the occasional muffled little cries…and…and he had been really turned on by it!

He groaned, clutching his head tighter. Even now the image of her lying beneath him with that flushed face and her lips parted, making these noises, whilst his knee was rubbing her-

Shaking his head feverishly, the sudden urge to smash his head against the wall overcame him in an attempt to get rid of his dirty thoughts involving Maka. What had he been thinking? Nothing! Why had he been thinking nothing? Had Maka's vicious attacks already damaged so many brain cells that he should finally resign himself to the fate of a having a grave brain malady? Life was cruel. Maka was cruel. And he apparently lacked half of his brain! This was so uncool.

How did he manage to…to stimulate her accidentally anyway? Was it normal to be this sensitive? He thought these kinds of things only happened in badly written porn…not that he was reading badly written porn but…what to do now? He had to calm down. He was after all cool and cool guys had to react to such things in a more dignified manner. And…and why hadn't _she _stopped him the moment his knee had brushed her crotch? Sure, his hold on her was very firm but he was certain that in a time like this she could have…and would have killed him if she wanted to.

So what should he do now? Taking in a shuddering breath, he slowly stood up from his uncomfortable position against the door and plopped down on his bed. Sighing deeply, he managed to calm himself at least a bit. Okay, now he had to think about a way to-

"Soul-kun!"

Luck had never been his closest ally but today it seemed to have decided to be his archenemy for good. Fearing for the worst, he was already in the process of opening his window if hard should come to hard. But when Blair entered his room, without knocking, he noticed two exceptional things that made him blink. Firstly, she was dressed…as in fully dressed and secondly she had not glomped him…yet. Instead, she took a chair and seated herself primly and with a quick glance at her perfectly manicured nails, took in the sight - that was as laughable as it was sad - of him being on the verge of climbing out of the window.

Blinking dumbly and suspecting that this was probably a dream or more probably a nightmare, he took a few steps back from the window and sat down on his bed, staring blankly at the cat-girl.

"Were you just about to jump out of the window?"

"No."

Her confusion vanished and was quickly replaced by a bright smile as if she had not just witnessed a scene that had eerily resembled an attempt at suicide.

"Good," she said her voice chipper and light, leaning slightly forward on her seat, "Did you have fun with Maka-chan?"

"Wha…what?" he spluttered, almost falling down. Maybe he really should have jumped out of the window. His cheeks turned beet red, which he tried to hide by lying down on his stomach and burying his face in his cushion. Had it really been that loud? Hadn't Maka just made small gasps, how could Blair have heard any of it?

"I'm glad that you finally did it. Maka-chan was really frustrated, you know," she continued, sounding a bit solemn.

Soul sat up with a sudden jerk of his body, which made him see tiny black dots in front of him and clutching his head from the slight dizziness, he glared at Blair. She had her legs crossed and her hands clasped together on top of her knee, regarding him with unhidden amusement. Why were both of his roommates taking so much pleasure in his plight? One was apparently a closet sadist (which would logically make him the closet masochist) and the other just loved to play with his head and body in other ways, which in turn would only repeat the sadistic attacks of the former.

He shook his head, he was being downright whiny right now.

"What exactly do you mean, Blair?" he asked, his voice unusually raspy as he desperately tried to fight off his blush, "We did nothing."

"Really?" she asked, tilting her head questioningly to the side and tapped her chin with a long finger thoughtfully, "But I'm sure I heard something when I passed her room and I'm sure you were with her."

"I…I…I…," he eloquently trailed off, losing the fight against his blush miserably. It consumed his entire skin, the heat threatening to ignite his cheeks if he was kept being reminded of the still fresh occurrences.

"Hmm," Blair's eyes narrowed with suspicion as she watched him sceptically, "You're blushing…that's all I need for confirmation."

"What? I didn't…I mean we didn't…I mean…shit!"

"Soul-kun, what's wrong?"

Maybe it was because he was far too overstrained with the current situation, or maybe all his anger and frustration from the last weeks had made him into this whiny, little, uncool mess but in the end he told Blair everything. He couldn't really stop himself. He just blurted everything out and even confided in her how much of a strain the last weeks had on him. He was glad that he wasn't a sobbing wreck when he finished his Great Tale of Anguish.

"Oh."

Soul wasn't sure but she sounded…disappointed? Why was she-

"I should have known," she said and sighing heavily and continued sounding more chipper than ever, "I'm glad though, I was really disappointed to find out that you had such low stamina. Even if Soul-kun is a virgin I expect a lot more from your performance."

"What?" he squeaked, oh dear God, he _squeaked. _How much more fucked up could this get? Why were they talking about his regrettably not-yet-performed performance in bed?

"It's a pity though, Maka-chan is quite frustrated."

"I'm also frustrated," he said dryly, without even remotely thinking about the true implications of Blair's words. But she was helpful and got quickly to the point.

"Sexually frustrated?"

"What?"

"You heard me right, Soul-kun."

"And what has her…her sexual frustration to do with me!"

He was on his feet now and would have probably flailed with his arms if he hadn't noticed in the last moment how stupid that would look. "Why doesn't she just…you know…there are things she can do against it that doesn't involve abusing me!"

"Why don't you do anything yourself?" she asked again in that ludicrously happy voice as if they were discussing some cheerful events and not his meister's…hormonal problems.

"Huh?"

"Why don't you help Maka-chan? You apparently did fine with your knee-job, so I'm sure you'll do fine with-"

"Wait, wait, wait," he said hastily waving his hands defensively in front of him, "You can't be seriously telling me that Maka and I should have sex!"

"Well, not right away but you could start with-"

"Are you stupid? You really are serious about it?", he asked disbelievingly, "We are partners, and we are friends and nothing more. I'm not going to ruin everything by doing something so reckless. It could ruin our whole partnership."

"It seems pretty ruined to me now," she shot back nonchalantly, causing him to wince.

"It's been just weeks she has behaved like that. I'm sure, when we talk, everything will turn to normal. We have been partners for years, we have been through so much together. It can't all fall apart because of some stupid disputes," he said, staring sullenly at his feet.

"You really care about Maka-chan, don't you?" Blair asked, her voice sympathetic and caring.

"I do," he answered automatically.

A not-quite uncomfortable silence befell them. Soul sat down again, his head was beginning to spin…yes, he was sure now, his brain was probably damaged beyond repair. He sighed for the umpteenth time this day and closed his eyes. He really needed to talk to Maka…there was no way he would and could do what Blair suggested. But any attempts to talk to Maka would probably end up in more awkwardness than before so he should probably wait a few minutes? Hours? Days? Weeks? He had no idea.

He groaned quietly and leaned languidly against the headboard of his bed. This was sick. How utterly ridiculous it was that the prudish Maka Albarn was actually sexually frustrated. And she had always accused him of being a pervert! Hah! If the situation at hand wasn't so aggravating and potentially harmful to their friendship….forget potentially harmful…it was doubtlessly harmful to their friendship, he would have teased her about it endlessly.

"Soul-kun?"

And why couldn't that damned cat leave him alone? Didn't she have someone to seduce/rape? He gritted his teeth and merely gave her a noncommittal hum.

"Don't forget to wash your hands before you touch her."

"…"

At his moronically blank stare, Blair merely giggled, "Your hands need to be clean, you know."

"…"

She stood up and walked over to him, her hips swaying exaggeratedly from side to side. His brain was still slow on processing her words, so he didn't stop her when she took both of his hands into her own, his palms facing upwards. She studied his hands with a concentration he had never seen on her face before. She looked at each of his fingers and lightly traced them with her forefinger from his knuckles up to the tip of his nails. She smoothed her thumb over the callous skin of his palm, her lips stretching from that deeply set line into a bright smile again.

"Uh…Blair?"

She released his hands and clapped excitedly. She leaned in close, so close that they were nose to nose and he could feel her breath against his chin. He automatically leaned backwards until the bedpost stopped any further movements and his pathetic attempts of an escape.

"Good! You don't have any cuts on your hands and your nails are short. Just don't forget to wash your hands with soap and warm water," she said and stepped away from him, clasping her hands together behind her back.

Soul could only frown and opened his mouth , forming he first syllables of his annoyed question when she cut him off abruptly.

"You don't want to get her pussy infected, right?"

His jaw dropped. He didn't want to get her _what _infected?

Why were they talking about Maka's female anatomy again? Hadn't he already told that stupid feline that he did not intend to screw Maka? Just what was wrong with her?

"Blair," he began, trying to sound stern but his blush seemed to be permanently painted on his face, which was somehow distracting the bouncy cat from his steady and definitely not-squeaky voice. "I am not going to sleep with Maka."

"But Soul-kun. I'm not telling you to sleep with her."

At this, he raised his eyebrows sceptically, eyeing the cat-girl warily. He was quite certain by now that jumping out of his window would have been the far more pleasant option.

"Then why are we talking about Maka's…uh-"

"Pussy?" she supplied helpfully with a cute grin as if she had just helped him with quite a menial task.

He could feel the heat crawling back into his cheeks. So not cool. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and glanced down. Closing his eyes, he took a very deep and unfortunately not very calming breath.

"You know Soul-kun," Blair trailed conversationally off, seating herself onto his chair, crossing her legs again. "I just want to help you."

He snorted and didn't even try to hide it despite the faint disapproving look, which crossed her face. However, he kindly didn't voice his thoughts about how she had more often than not made his life a living hell. Okay, maybe he was exaggerating a bit but she was after all the one who made them restart their quest for souls. And not to mention, all the instances she had sexually assaulted him, which was usually bordering on rape and of course, the Maka-Chops he had always had to suffer from, because of his meister's violent urges.

"You should start out slowly," she said, completely unperturbed by his glare. He eventually lay down again and closed his eyes with a sigh. He was giving up. No matter what he said, Blair was not going to stop and inevitably provide him with her unwanted help. "And you're right, you shouldn't sleep with her…yet. There are other ways you can satisfy Maka-chan as well. That's why you should make sure to have clean hands."

Okay, he merely had to ignore her…somehow whilst she kept talking about ways to satisfy Maka. He groaned but she continued as if she was just reciting a recipe for a particularly delicious pie.

"You should at first just run your hands up her legs."

He just had to close his eyes and block any noises out and maybe even manage to fall asleep. Hopefully, the pervy cat wouldn't try anything funny whilst he was sleeping.

"Maka-chan has really beautiful legs, don't you think so too, Soul-kun? I mean she has such smooth skin and her legs are long and shapely and really strong…"

It didn't matter if the cat spoke the truth or not. He certainly was not going to think about Maka's legs, neither any other parts of her anatomy that might or might not be very alluring. Shaking his head and curling himself into a small pitiful ball of misery, he did his best to ignore Blair and her rambling.

"I am a bit jealous though. But it's no wonder that she has such a fit body, I mean with all the training and moving she has to do. I wonder if her little butt is as firm as it looks."

No, he was most definitely not asking himself the same question! Because frankly, Maka's butt did not interest him in the least. This stupid cat was surely annoying, babbling about uninteresting topics. He snorted inwardly.

He should really think about more awesome things, like music! Yes, music. There was this new album he wanted to buy but had never the chance to do so since he was either too lazy, something - most of the time missions - got in the way or he was occupied with other things now. Yes, he would go and buy this new record and let it blare at the highest volume his very expensive four-way, high-fidelity loudspeaker system had to offer. And he would forget everything around him and not let himself stop enjoying the music even if his annoying roommate should be bothered by the loudness of it all. He snorted. What did she knew? Maka really had an abysmal taste in music, so she as an avid trance-fusion (he did not consider this music in any way) listener should not be the one to complain. She really was a weird one. And she al-

Crap!

Didn't he want to forget everything about her right now?

No, thinking about music was not doing him any good right now.

Basketball! Yes, basketball. Maybe he should call Black*Star and Kid. Yes, that would be great. It would only be the three of them. And no Maka. She truly sucked at basketball anyway, despite the fact that he always dragged her along too. But why shouldn't he? It was a nice thing of him to do, considering that she always spent her free time inside, locked in her room and reading some boring books. And she still hadn't gotten the rules. For such a smart and studious person she could be very stupid sometimes but she knew the loose rules of Shibusen all by heart. Honestly, how messed up was that? Soul sometimes wondered why she insis-

This was not good at all! He didn't want to think about Maka right now, did he? Since he was failing miserably at not thinking about his partner, he should maybe-

"Say Soul-kun, how does it feel like when she's riding you?" Blair ruthlessly cut through his thoughts and with a particularly perverted giggle she continued, not leaving the time to properly assess her dirty words, "Whenever you try to fly and she has you between her long legs, do you ever feel her skin? I wonder if she gets aroused, she can't probably be really unaffected, neither can you, when she straddles your shaft with her legs, right?"

Soul had the instant urge to crawl under his bed and die.

With another deviously perverted giggle, Blair mercilessly continued the verbal smackdown of the little remains of his dignity, "How does it feel like exploring new unexplored heights together? Does she ever get wet?"

"Blair!" he groaned, burying his face in his fluffy pillow. And when he thought he had regained some of his composure, he sat up once again, steadily facing the amused cat-girl. He still felt his blush but had accepted that it wasn't going to subdue very soon, so instead ignoring the permanent redness on his cheeks, he stared at Blair seriously.

"Blair, stop it," he said, congratulating himself inwardly for keeping his voice so calm and cool. He almost sounded like those very cool and stoic action heroes, who faced enormous armies and rocket launchers without so much as a blink of fear. But alas he wasn't facing a destructive army or a rocket launcher but a magical cat. He would have rather faced a destructive army armed with gigantic rocket launchers.

"Please, leave my room and don't bother me. I really need to think."

"But I really want to help you."

He sighed, barely containing his irritation, but he didn't really know why he didn't send her away or why he simply didn't leave himself. Maybe it was because she looked truly sincere when she said that. Or maybe he had just resigned himself to the fact that if he were to leave she would just stubbornly cling to his leg and not let go of him until she had voiced her thoughts. Moreover, that she wasn't going to leave even if he begged her to on his knees (which was never going to happen) was a given.

So with yet another heavier sigh he simply slumped down. "Will you leave me alone when you're done?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered, nodding excitedly.

"Alright then."

"I'm sure that my knowledge will be very useful for you."

"Sure thing, Blair."

He eyed his window cautiously, contemplating his chances and the pros and cons about jumping and the probability of his survival.

"If you want, I can demonstrate some of the things."

"No, thanks."

And thus he ended up getting a lesson about the art of sex, seduction and pleasure…by a cat.


	2. Of hormonal urges

A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews, feedback is always welcome and don't be shy to point out things you don't like or don't agree with. I hope this chapter doesn't fail to entertain you. Enjoy!

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**Chapter Two**

**Of hormonal urges to jump one's partner, of naughty fantasies and a surprising offer**

Maka would have never thought that she would ever be glad to have her partner gone in a preferably far distance. She groaned and buried her red face in her palms. How could she ever be able to look into his face again? She had never felt so embarrassed about something in her entire life. Why hadn't she just pushed him off the moment he had climbed on top of her?

Not to mention that he had been so short of catching her masturbating! When had she turned from the innocent and chaste, straight-A student to such a horny and perverted girl, who lusted after her loyal partner now (she was still a straight-A student though)? The times she really bothered to think about the irrationality of hers, her desire for Soul truly scared her. She wanted him so much that it ought to be unhealthy.

And she had thought by avoiding him everything would turn back to normal, that she would suddenly stop wanting to touch him, stop wanting to be touched by him. She had only made it worse. She was so stupid! And to top it off, she had worried him! He had even blamed himself.

Well, in a way he was to blame.

Sighing heavily, she snapped her book shut and threw it unceremoniously onto the table next to her. She had in a vain attempt to distract herself from…from _everything_ decided to read the thickest and most suspenseful book she possessed after a shower that proved to be even more fruitless in diverting her attention from her horniness. But any suspense was lost because she had already read this particular book not less than five times…not to mention that the unbearable heat between her legs was the most distracting. She felt familiar warmth rising into her cheeks, colouring her skin pink from shame and embarrassment.

Even the smallest thought about Soul made the blood rush into her cheeks. With a groan, she dropped limply onto the couch and pulled her legs close. How could she ever look Soul straight into his eyes again? She had probably just scared him off! He had definitely run off never to come back again to his hypocritical and perverted partner. He had already been fed up with her!

"_Don't you think that it would be the best to end things once for all?"_

He probably never wanted to see her again, not after what had happened, not after she had so shamelessly shown such a crude side of her to him. But she didn't want him to go and leave her, she didn't want another partner and she doubted she could ever form such a strong bond with another weapon as well.

She gulped loudly, trying to fight off the fear that seemed to have gripped her every limb and muscle. She still had a chance; he wouldn't leave without his stuff, would he? He had to come back and then she would apologize. Yes, she would definitely mend things and would hear him out and tell him everything. It wasn't like she could embarrass herself even more.

It was absurd! How often had she seen Soul partially undressed, snoring on the couch without his shirt on or walking out of the shower with nothing but a towel wrapped around his hips? They had always been very comfortable around each other and she hadn't minded that he occasionally saw her in her rather skimpy sleeping wear during unbearably hot summer nights. So why now? Why did he leave her fingers smouldering and burning with the need to touch him, why was she craving for the heat of his rough and elegant hands on every part of her sensitive body?

Maybe because she was no better than all those stupid and hormonal fangirls that would so obscenely fawn over her loyal partner…yes, maybe she wasn't that above it all, not above those silly girls she would always so arrogantly look down on. This thought left her with a bitter taste in her mouth. She was a horrible hypocrite. Soul had every reason to leave immediately and to never come back. Maybe he would even send someone else to pack his stuff and that embarrassing encounter in her room with him was the last she was going to see of him.

She shook her head slightly to erase any thoughts of that abysmally mortifying occurrence.

Maybe the true reason for everything was that they had far too much time on their hands. They hadn't been sent on any missions lately and since it was also summer break, she couldn't even let herself get distracted by classes.

And their friends weren't here as well. Black Star and Tsubaki were in Japan, visiting Tsubaki's parents. Kid had grudgingly agreed to take Liz and Patti to Paris on the stubborn insistence of the former.

Maka wasn't close to anyone else in their class. Sure, she did get along with the most of them and Ox, in spite of being her greatest academic rival, was alright, as were his partner Harvar and Kim, Jackie and Kilik. But the only time they really did something together was either during school or during missions.

This left her with too much time to kill, time she didn't manage to kill with reading, time she instead used to notice the smallest things about Soul she came to think of as endearing, nice and/or sexy. She couldn't stop the frown on her face at the last word. She never could help it. She hadn't even noticed it at first. The small details only added up over the time. Lately, she had become quite fascinated with his teeth. She didn't know anyone else with such teeth, such long and pointy canines that made him look almost beast-like. And with her fascination also grew her curiosity and she had unnoticeably started to watch him closer, especially his teeth and thus his mouth and lips. She found herself wondering if his lips would feel as soft as they looked and why his tongue was so damn long and why she hadn't picked this little aspect up much earlier whenever he had eaten a soul. She inadvertently thought about how such a long tongue could be put to good use or if his teeth would hurt when he should bite the soft skin of her neck and if his lips would-

With a loud gasp and an irritated growl following closely, she pressed her thighs tightly together.

This was not the time to fantasize! She had to think about a way to apologize to Soul. Being blunt and truthful should work the best, especially since she had very desperately tried to avoid it, which had angered him. Yes, she was going to admit right into his face that she has been lusting after him like those much-maligned fangirls of his. She cringed and shook her head slightly, damp and darkened hair falling annoyingly into her eyes. With a huff of breath, she blew them away or at least tried to before her blonde bangs settled over her eyes again.

She had to remind herself that this was necessary if she wanted to save their friendship. She was going to tell him everything, how she was nearly burning with want, how much she desired to feel him against her, to feel his skin, how she had far too often fantasized about being joined with him completely, how she had dreamed about his strong chest pressed against her lithe curves, how she had wondered how his hands would feel when he caressed her breasts, how those sharp teeth of his feel against her wet-

With a shrill squeak, she buried her red face in her hands. How was she going to be able to tell her partner that she desperately had wanted and still wanted to jump his bones? She let out a frustrated scream. Who was she trying to kid? This was never going to work! Even if he miraculously didn't decide to leave immediately, things were going to be utterly awkward between them. And she doubted that once she admitted to him that he was far too sexy for his own good that it made her want to crawl over him, whenever he casually lay on the couch in his half-naked glory, and tear the rest of his clothes off his delicious body, these…_urges_ were going to subdue.

Maka wanted to cry, she wanted to scream. She cursed the world for being so unfair and she cursed her stupid father for damning her life with his perverted genes. Yes, it was definitely his fault! She, the logical and smart Maka Albarn, would have never found herself lusting after her partner if it weren't for her father's perpetual perverseness.

But alas, she did lust after Soul. There was no use in dwelling on the _ifs_ and _whatnots_ and the smart and logical Maka Albarn also knew that genetics didn't work that way and inheriting the prurience of a parent was not possible. It was her fault (and Soul's - if she might add - for managing to look so irresistible even if he just woke up, the jerk!).

She had to do something about this. She had to at least attempt to rein her emotions in. There was no other option if she didn't want to chase Soul away. She didn't want anyone else for a partner or see him wielded by another person than herself. Alone the vague thought and the mental image her trusted scythe being in the dainty hands of one his many busty and pretty fangirls, made her want to ram her fist into the hard wood of the table next to her. She cursed herself and her stupid hormones and she cursed the moron that was her father even though she had already determined that he wasn't at fault for her problem right now (but it was always easier to blame such an easy target than herself). She was a horrible person. She was abusive, she was bitchy and uncontrollably horny right now.

It was amazing how Soul managed to put up with her the whole time. Although he was a lazy ass and too damn snarky for his own good, he was the most loyal and most devoted partner a meister could ever ask for. This thought filled her with unbearable guilt and she swallowed hard. She couldn't ask for another one, she would never accept - never be able to accept - another weapon. No, she couldn't lose Soul! She had to apologize and she was never going to use her books to smack him again. More often than not, he didn't even deserve to be punished like that; there were times she was far more obnoxious and he did manage to put up with her after all, so she should be able to tolerate him as well despite his few and little flaws.

Drawing in a sharp breath she slowly stood up from the uncomfortable position on the couch. She made her short way over to the kitchen on shaky feet and filled the glass that had been lying on the table with cold water. She sighed after she quickly gulped it down, cooling her throat. She wondered when Soul would come back. The prospect of having to face Soul again made her jittery with dread and shame.

She couldn't help but think about what had happened in her room just a few hours ago. Although it had left her tremendously embarrassed, she couldn't forget the way he had looked at her. If she didn't know already that Soul only liked busty and sexy girls, she would have believed that he had enjoyed seeing her in such a state. She couldn't even muster up any anger that he had just continued to…to…to rub his knee against her crotch. She could have stopped him anytime she wanted and knew Soul would have immediately ceased any movements of his but she hadn't wanted him to stop. Admittedly, she hadn't had the capacity of rational thought at that time, she had been frustrated and angry…he had after all interrupted her when she was about to take care of her _problem_.

She had so desperately tried to fight it but her body, her underdeveloped and annoyingly treacherous body wouldn't let her. She had had to do something to quench this stupidly permanent heat between her thighs and her quite active imagination, which would usually be very helpful for assignments or the rare creative kind of homework they would occasionally be tasked with, never failed to provide her with images and pictures of Soul. And thus she had found her small hand wandering curiously over her body and had imagined it to be Soul's hand squeezing her breast and pinching an erect nipple. Only when the tips of her fingers grazed the elastic of her drenched panties, had she stopped exploring her body before she had had even so much as a second to feel ashamed that she was about to use her partner as jerk-off material, the source of her problems just had knocked on her door to talk to her. Soul had had really a crappy timing but she at least he hadn't just burst in or she…she didn't even want to imagine how _that _would have turned out.

But she did anyway, not that her rampant imagination had left her alone the past weeks. Soul would have either laughed…though Maka had to admit she found this possibility to the most improbable, he would have rather dashed out of the room out of embarrassment…or perhaps…he would have even liked what he had seen and…and join her on her bed and…and…and let his own hands…do the work.

No, this was stupid. Maka shook her head, feeling slightly dizzy, and sat down on one of the chairs in the kitchen. Soul never failed to remind her of how unsexy and flat she was. She didn't know why it bothered her so much, shouldn't she be used to it by now? And it wasn't like she never insulted him either; she could be pretty mean-spirited too and if her remarks didn't manage to be scathing enough, the spines of her books did the rest.

What did he expect? Did he really think it was possible for her to sport such a huge rack as Blair, Tsubaki, Patti or Liz did?

"_Tiny tits."_

"…_flat as a board…"_

"_Titless."_

His stupid comments made her blood boil. He was an idiot. If she did have such large breasts as most of her friends had, she would certainly look like a failed experiment of a plastic surgeon. Besides, even if she lacked in that area, she had a fit body overall. And her small breasts matched her petite figure finely. Not to mention that she had nice legs. She definitely knew that she had nice legs. She had no reason to be less confident with herself!

Nevertheless, it did make her think about her small chest unnecessarily often. She was sixteen years old now and she may have grown a bit, grown enough not to qualify as _flat as a board _anymore but unfortunately not nearly enough to be considered busty or even having an average-sized bust.

Soul would never look past the fact that she had small breasts. He would never acknowledge her in the way she did him.

Wait!

What was she thinking?

Those thoughts were wrong, utterly and undeniably wrong! She and Soul having that kind of relationship. It was ridiculous and something that was never going to happen and even if by some slim chance it ever should come that far, it would be the worst thing to happen to them, certainly putting their friendship through unneeded turmoil.

She sighed loudly and walked over to the fridge. It was far too warm in their small apartment; she needed something cold to drink, something different than water. She opened the fridge and closed her eyes, enjoying the slight coolness that wafted towards her, relaxing her a bit. She quickly grabbed a bottle of cherry juice and closed the fridge. How she wished that Tsubaki was here. Her sweet and wise friend would surely have a good piece of advice for her. Even Liz with whom Maka didn't share such intimate secrets would have been alright. Alas, she was alone in this for now. Well, she had asked Blair once for advice…no this wasn't true, Blair had cunningly picked up on her odd behaviour earlier than Soul did and had immediately come to the right conclusion. She had, however, not provided her with much needed advice about how to handle her overwhelming emotions sensibly but had instead unabashedly told her to…to just _do it_.

Sighing loudly, she sat down again and shortly eyed the nearly empty bottle in her small hand. She didn't bother to pour the juice into her glass. There wasn't much left of it anyway and instead she just brought the bottle to her lips and took a large and satisfying gulp out of it, the dark red liquid darkening her lips from pale pink to a darker shade. She couldn't even bring herself to reprimand herself. She would usually scold Soul for drinking everything from the bottle, telling him that it was gross and that their glasses, cups or mugs (whatever the hell he needed) were just two steps away from him, since their kitchen was small.

So how should she apologize to him? She furrowed her brows and resisted the urge to sluggishly put her feet onto the table in front of her. Another bad habit of Soul's.

"_Soul…I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, I really am."_

She assumed that this was a good start but after everything she had put him through, he needed to hear more than just a few apologetic words, no matter how sincere they were.

"_And to show you how sorry I am, I want to make it up to you…I want to give you something special."_

Sensible and logical Maka Albarn knew that this was the point where she was supposed to cut off her inner movie theatre that was starting to resemble more and more a porn. But the sensible and logical side of her was either sleeping, taking a break or was simply dead and…oh…this was also the point in her fantasy where she would slowly remove her clothes and approach Soul, who would be unable to resist her and-

"Maka-chan."

With a panicky gasp she removed her treacherous and having-a-mind-of-its-own hand from her panties with barely contained horror. She hadn't even noticed it wandering into her panties.

Maka hastily turned in her seat just in time to see the magical cat walking into the living room in her human form, wearing a sultry red top with a heinously low cut, showing a generous amount of cleavage and a short black skirt, its lack of length rivalling her own. Hell, that…piece of clothing Blair decided to wear couldn't qualify as a skirt, it looked more like a broad belt.

"What is it Blair?" she asked and tried to fight off a stubborn frown, partially relieved that she had been interrupted from continuing and partially frustrated that…urgh!

"I'm off to work," Blair said with a smile as she grabbed her long black coat and slung it over her bared shoulders. Maka never understood why she even bothered with a coat when she never had the intention of buttoning it and wearing it the way it was supposed to be worn. Blair had never given her a clear answer, at least not one that had ever satisfied the meister.

"Bye," Maka murmured and hoped that the cat went out without further ado. She was already in a bad mood and didn't Blair to increase it.

"Bye, Maka-chan!" Blair waved excitedly and Maka just returned her enthusiastic goodbye with a lazy wave of her wrist. "I have bought a bottle of vine if you need it."

"Vine?" Maka asked, watching her dubiously as she struggled to slip on a ridiculously high-heeled black boot. "You know that I don't like to drink and Soul is more of a beer person. Not to mention that we're underage. You shouldn't have bought it." She sighed heavily and propped her cheek on her fist tiredly.

"I think it will make things easier if you drink it."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"So you and Soul-kun can play carpenter."

"What?"

Blair giggled and Maka, not heeding the ill feeling in her stomach, which she always got when Blair laughed like that, brought the bottle once again to her lips to take a large gulp of cherry juice. She didn't want to try to make any sense of the cat's nonsensical words.

"You know…play carpenter..," she raised a forefinger and she might have even looked like a lecturer or a teacher if it weren't for the fact that she was dressed like…like a lady of easy virtue. "…first you get hammered and then he nails you. Play carpenter," she said knowingly, her amber eyes twinkling with mirth.

Maka came to the conclusion that drinking while Blair was around or more importantly when Blair was talking was something that should be desisted. This intelligent realization, however, came to her too late as a copious amount of cherry juice spurted out of her nose and mouth, making it spill all over herself and table. She coughed loudly and managed to put down the slick bottle onto the table securely before it could slip off of her wet hand.

"Maka-chan!" Blair gasped and quickly walked over to her, clapping her on the back with more force than it was necessary. "Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to startle you."

With a last wheezy cough, Maka scowled at the cat, who stared at her with downcast eyes and a saddened frown. She found her irritation vanish as fast as it had come.

"Since you always get embarrassed when I use dirty words, I thought that…that-"

"You thought that, '_first get hammered and then he nails you' _is a lot better?" Maka asked, unable to keep her shrill agitation out of her voice.

"Uh…yes?"

"You're just impossible," she muttered and accepted the napkin Blair offered her apologetically. She winced with disgust when she saw her white shirt sticking to her chest, the clean white garment now flecked with ugly blotches of pale red. She wiped off the sticky remains of the juice from her jaw and neck and hands.

"You know Maka-chan, I really didn't mean to make you angry."

Maka sighed heavily and handed the napkin back to her. "It's alright, I guess," she mumbled and hung her head. She ran her hands through her hair and noticed vaguely with a small amount of relief that her hair at least didn't seem to have fallen victim to the squirting of the juice…

_Squirting of the juice_? Damn it! She was even thinking in sexual innuendos!

She had the maddening urge to bang her forehead against the hard wood of the table over and over again until it bled and her head was finally free from any dirty thoughts.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Blair asked and much to her dismay took a seat on the remaining chair.

"No thanks," her answer was immediate. Maka didn't trust the cat one bit. She had after all never failed to tease her about her horniness and now she was acting all concerned and helpful. Besides, didn't she have to go to work to entertain dirty and lonely old men?

"Are you sure? I mean, it seemed to have helped Soul-kun a bit."

What? There was no way Soul would have…

"What did you and Soul talk about?"

"Oh you know…this and that?"

"This and that? What exactly did you talk about?" Maka grumbled, clenching her hands in the fabric of her long shirt. It was not like Blair to be so avoidant or hesitant about something. She would just usually spit everything out that was on her mind. So why now? "Tell me, Blair."

Blair just fiddled with her fingers and Maka couldn't help but stare at her long and sharp and painted fingernails, not dissimilar to the colour of her scandalous top. Only when the cat sighed, did her curious gaze lock with the…frightened eyes of Blair. Oh, this had to be a sick joke. It was the same fearful glance Soul had given her a few hours ago, as if she was an emotional time bomb. They were exaggerating! They made her to be a perpetually PMS-ing battle-axe. Okay, so she had to admit that she had a short temper and could occasionally get a bit violent but was this reason enough to treat her with such caution?

"It's alright, Blair. I promise I won't get mad," she said slowly and forced a wry smile on her face.

She tentatively smiled back and stopped to fiddle with her fingers, for which Maka was eternally glad for as it was starting to get extremely annoying. She found it quite difficult to uphold her fake smile, her cheeks began to hurt and twitch from the effort of her facial muscles to maintain it.

"I gave Soul-kun some advice about sex and seduction."

Maka blinked. Her smile fell.

What?

"I wanted to make sure that he did everything alright and it becomes a good experience for the both of you," Blair continued, strangely undeterred by the other's tense shoulders and gaping mouth in spite of her initial hesitation.

Maka gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, exhaling harshly through her nose. Screw this! Screw Soul and this insufferable stupid cat! And screw all of her claims about not being a deranged battle-axe. How was a person supposed to stay calm in situations like this? It wasn't like Maka wanted to be like that…it wasn't exactly her fault that her partner had developed into a hunk (using such a word to describe Soul, made her grimace and want to puke) and that Blair was even better at driving her insane than the black blood was (or could ever hope to be).

"At first he was very embarrassed…it was kinda cute actually but then he was quite interested," Blair babbled and when her eyes fell on Maka again, she noticed now the change in her demeanour.

She blinked again. Wait…Soul was interested in sex…with her?

She wasn't sure if she had spoken it aloud or if Blair had somehow gained the ability to read (dirty) minds and her answer was quick and to the point, "He was quite turned on because of what happened in your room."

Her giggles sounded pervy and naughty and there was no way Maka could stop her blush. Alone the mere thought that Soul had liked what had happened…it was embarrassing but it was easy for her to forget all about any embarrassment in order to think about…the more alluring prospect of Soul being interested in her…_in her, _Maka "Tiny-Tits" Albarn, who was always going to be the partner with no sex appeal.

"I told him to buy condoms, so when he comes back you can finally have some fun," she winked and with a quick motion stood up from the chair, her large breasts never missing a bounce.

Wait? No! Why was she getting her hopes so high? Hadn't she already determined that such a change in their relationship would be bad?

"It's not like we're actually going to do it," Maka said, frowning lightly, and stared down at her hands in her lap.

"Why?"

She looked up, narrowing her green eyes in irritation. "It wouldn't be good for us. I mean we are weapon and meister, we're simply partners and not…"

"Why would it be bad. Sex is great and is a lot of fun!" Blair exclaimed indignantly, her eyes full with disbelief.

Maka growled and glared at the ignorant cat. "Maybe it is a lot of fun but something that is a lot of fun doesn't automatically become something one should do."

"But you want it," she said matter-of-factly.

"Maybe," Maka squeaked, trying to shrug off her embarrassment, and continued with a steadier voice, "But it doesn't make any sense."

"What do you mean?"

"It doesn't make sense that I want him so much. We have been friends for so long, we have been partners and roommates for so long, I don't want any of it to change," she began and almost started to fidget. "And although I tell myself that it's wrong that I see my partner as a lust object, I still…still want him."

"Oh, Maka-chan. I fully understand," Blair said and taking a few steps towards her, suddenly engulfed her in a tight hug. Maka gasped out her name and somehow managed to return her semi-comforting embrace and patted her awkwardly on her bare shoulder. When she eventually released her with a small smile, which made the meister raise her eyebrows quizzically, doubting that the cat actually understood her troubles, she spoke, "I mean who could ever manage to resist Soul-kun's hot body and goofy charms…and not to mention his piano playing…that's extremely sexy. I'm sure he's _pretty _good with his hands."

Maka unconsciously nodded her agreement, humming with approval when an image of Soul clad in his irresistible pinstripe suit flashed in front of her eyes, his hand stroking the glossy black of the piano and his smug yet oddly endearing grin when he looked at her with those deep red eyes of his and how they always left her weak and-

She groaned loudly and slapped a hand on her forehead, making Blair look at her dubiously. Not again! She cringed and muttered obscenities under her breath. She had to stop this.

"If it helps you…sex is actually a bit like math," Blair said.

"Huh? Like math? How is sex like math?"

Blair made as much sense as she had when she had been possessed by the black blood. Maka shook her head a bit. Math was completely logical, the study of quantity, structure, space and change…patterns were sought out, new conjectures were formulated…and _truth_ was established through rigorous deduction from appropriately chosen axioms and definitions.

How could she compare such a logical field of science with sex? Sex was raw, it was emotional and…well there was always the biological babbling about it, about how the penis entered the vagina and that it was the human form of copulation and whatnot…but she didn't care about that…whenever she saw Soul, there was no logic involved…she could never think clearly, she wanted to be near him physically, had the urge to press her body against his and shed his clothes and just wanted to _feel _him. And although she knew, she shouldn't…she still wanted to and never could bring herself to stop fantasizing and turn her close friend into an into the object of her lust.

"It is like math…have you never heard of it?" Blair asked, going into full lecture-mode. Maka might have even considered to take her seriously if it weren't for her skimpy attire but nonetheless decided to humour her. "Just add a bed, subtract the clothes, part the legs and multiply," Blair exclaimed, pumping her fist triumphantly into the air, appearing very proud of her immense knowledge about bad sexual innuendos.

Maka didn't even try to scold the cat this time. It was not like she would listen to her or stop bombarding her with such nonsense. She simply laid her head onto the table and closed her eyes, feeling an unbearable weight settle on her.

"Maka-chan?"

She merely hummed in response too tired and depressed to talk.

"I think I should get going" Blair said and Maka eventually opened her eyes to see her putting her cloak on.

"Okay. Have fun."

The cat smiled and adjusted her top (she pulled it lower) and gave her a thumbs up. "Thanks, I definitely will. And enjoy your time with Soul-kun…and be sure to use a condom if you go all the way…and if you need help you can call me," she said, bringing her hand close to her ear, only her thumb and little finger stretched out while the other three were folded against her palm, forming a phone. "You know which number to call, right?"

Maka nodded, although she had no idea what Blair was talking about and was desperately trying to repress any alluring images of Soul and the wonderful advantages of condoms. Maka faintly registered the closing of the door and Blair mumbling something to herself before she made her exit.

Soft footsteps that could not possibly belong to Blair as she had worn noisy high heels, made Maka frown and the moment she let out a shocked gasp of realization and stood up, she came face to face with Soul. His eyes were wide, matching her own in size, although he actually seemed less startled than she. She could faintly hear the chair she had been just milliseconds before sitting on sluggishly, fall down with a dull noise.

"Soul?" her voice was impossibly meek and strained and if she had possessed the capacity of thinking clearly at the moment, she would have slapped herself for sounding so weak.

He didn't say anything, didn't greet her, didn't insult her, which was unnerving. She gulped and gathering her courage and her ability to talk normally, she opened her mouth…only to shut it the moment Soul broke their eye contact and simply passed her with cold indifference, his shoulder lightly grazing hers. Her heart fell. She couldn't bring herself to turn around, afraid of the blatant and unspoken rejection of any genuine apologies she had yet to utter. He didn't even want to give her a chance to explain herself? Did he want to throw away years of a great partnership? Had she been really that horrible to him?

No, no, no…this wouldn't do. Maka was not going to give up…and besides, his silence wasn't meant to be a rejection…perhaps he just wanted to…she didn't know! Turning quickly on her heels, she halted again put off by having his back in front of her eyes rather than his face. Swallowing down her nervousness, she took a few tentative steps towards him and touched his shoulder with just a finger. He twitched suddenly, startling her and causing her to nearly jump back.

She spoke before she could be met with his eyes again. She was too afraid of his potential indifference, about his coldness, about his happiness to finally move out and cut ties with his terrible and abusive partner.

"I'm sorry, Soul," her words were hasty and rushed, her voice was high-pitched and sounded far too hysteric in her ears for it to be the cool and measured way she wanted it to be. It was laughable. She had faced deadly enemies, creatures with utmost cruelty and no mercy, monsters that desired her death and wanted to devour her soul, she had faced them with unflinching determination and courage. Never allowing herself to show her fear but…but facing Soul right now made her weak in the knees, made her want to throw her arms around him and cling to him desperately if he should ever be stupid enough to tell her that he was leaving. The dread was unbearable, if it weren't for her increasing despair about the possibility of losing her partner, it would have her tongue tied completely.

Her hands were jittery and raised halfway and she didn't know why, maybe it was in preparation to really cling to him. She lowered her arms and clenched her fists into the material of her shirt in a miserable attempt to hide their shaking. She still hadn't looked up, too afraid of what she might see, and kept her gaze stubbornly fixed on the floor. She irrationally noticed how there was a small fleck of the spilled cherry juice. She heard Soul shift, heard his exasperated exhale and the jarring of his shoes against the floor.

"I'm really sorry, Soul!"

Oh damn this all! There was no way she could stop herself from talking and her voice being so stupidly squeaky. "Please, you have to forgive me. I know I have treated you horribly and you have every reason to leave me….and…and I would…would totally understand. Just…please…just give me another chance. I promise…I will never hit you again…and I will…never…never lie to you again, I will tell you what's bothering me…and never hit you…again…I mean it!" She paused shortly only to take a shuddering breath and said, "Just…don't leave me."

Oh God…her eyes stung. Tears? No, she was going to cry, she was so totally going to cry. She was pathetic and miserable and Soul was going to think she was a hysteric shrew. She had probably made everything worse! Again! Had he even understood what she had been trying to say? He had probably been unable to make out any words with her quick and senseless babbling. She was going to cry, damn it!

"Soul, I'm so sorry," she sounded calmer, more tired and she barely managed to rein in her stubborn tears that seemed to be so adamant to escape. Damn it! She had never cried in front of Soul…the only time she had cried in his proximity was when he had been unconscious because of her own failure as a meister. Her breathing was heavy and raspy, too loud in the suffocating silence, and it made her want to shout, ramble again and apologize over and over.

She wanted him to say something but at the same time she was dreading his words. Her hands were trembling and clammy. She had forgotten that she had spilled…spit cherry juice all over herself and hadn't bothered to change out of her clothes. She had to look ridiculous. Soul sighed and Maka felt her heartbeats pick up in speed. She was surprised that her heart could beat faster. It hammered loudly against her ribs and she wondered if her partner could hear it.

"Maka."

She felt like an old woman, shivering and trembling like a weak-boned woman eighty years older than her actual age, her knees not managing to keep still for longer than a few seconds and threatening to give out completely to let her treacherously drop down. And now he was making everything worse by saying her name like…like _this. _His voice was so deep and smooth and he had just whispered her name so softly, so gently, it made a cold but not unpleasant shiver run down her spine.

She was an idiot. Even now at a time most inappropriate to indulge in stupid hormonal thoughts about her partner, did she notice so very alluring aspects about him.

"Maka," he said, again in that irresistible whispery voice and before she found herself fawning over it again, the terrible thought that Soul was about to utter the words she was dreading so much crossed her messy and ill-sorted mind. What if he was saying her name with such caution to let her off easily? "I think that it would be the best-"

"Soul!" This was the only thing she said with coherence and what followed her overdramatic exclamation of his name were jumbled words and verbalizations of unsorted thoughts in a manner that made her sound like a psycho. She apologized again, begged him not to leave her, to give her another chance and this in an annoying high pitch that might have been able to shatter glass if he had allowed her to continue.

"Maka!" she suddenly stilled when his hands gripped her shoulders tightly, her gaze involuntarily shot up to meet his. There was no way she could be able to hide that she was about to cry, her green eyes glistening with her unshed tears were a dead giveaway. "I'm not going anywhere."

"What?"

He grinned a little and said, "I'm not leaving, stupid."

His words, simple words that sounded so absurdly beautiful to her, seemed to have a galvanizing effect on her as the rigidity Soul had managed to instil with a mere touch went completely away. She never thought that passing out from relief could ever be possible but Soul assuring her that he was not going to leave made her seriously reconsider such a possibility. This time her knees did give out and she would have certainly met the kitchen floor if Soul hadn't been steadying her. She lightly slumped against his chest and vaguely registered that his grasp on her shoulders tightened.

"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly and put one palm flat against her forehead, brushing a few messy blonde bangs away. Maka wanted to lean into his touch more, enjoying the comforting warmth that was oozing out of him in waves and wrapped around her like a blanket. He withdrew his hand quickly and let out a strangled noise. "Shit! Are you crying?"

Much to her horror, Maka realized that she had indeed unknowingly allowed her tears spill from her stinging eyes. Her belated gasp and consequent attempt to wipe them away, did nothing to hide it.

"You are," he said disbelievingly and Maka felt more than she saw how he ran a hand jerkily through his white hair.

"I'm not," she whispered and unconsciously pressed her moist face against his chest with a quiet sniff, which he didn't fail to pick up.

"Why the hell are you crying?" he asked, sounding oddly panicky. Maka didn't say anything. She didn't know what to do anymore and felt a bit silly for crying. Sure, it wasn't an epic tears-and-snot-fest, just a few tears she couldn't hold back from the overload of tricky emotions but managed to wipe away quickly. But still…it weirded her a bit out. And Soul too, apparently.

"Idiot," he scoffed and it seemed as if just to prove that he was as bad as her in handling such emotional confrontations, he picked up the napkin that Blair had so helpfully offered her to wipe the sticky cherry juice away but hadn't apparently bothered to neatly wash or dispose of, and haphazardly pressed it against her face in order to wipe away any tears. "As if there's something to cry about," he said, disgruntled, and dropped the drenched napkin onto the table when she lightly swatted his hand away. "I just told you I'm not leaving and you start to cry on me, seriously."

"Shut up," she mumbled, not daring to look into his eyes. Instead, she wrung her hands into his shirt and let out another sniff, which annoyed her. He put his hands onto her shoulders again and patted her back awkwardly, muttering grumpily about how she was an idiot and why she was going all sentimental on him now.

They had shared hugs before but those had usually been for such occasions as birthdays or Christmas, days on which everyone hugged people one cared about…but never like this. Hell, this couldn't even qualify as a hug, he was barely touching her and she had just pressed her face against his chest and fisted her hands in his shirt. She slightly tensed up when he pulled a bit away and looked her into the eyes with a grin and snorted. "As if I would ever leave you."

It was an unusually sweet thing of him to say and extremely cheesy, coming out of his - the cool guy's - mouth. It made her giggle. He noticed and he blushed faintly, before he looked away grumbling something under his breath and scowled. Although he looked absolutely cute with that blush and embarrassed expression, she didn't want him lose his good humour and said, "Till death do us part then?"

She realized belatedly that this probably wasn't the best thing to say in a time like this. It was cheesier than Soul's admission and it did nothing to lessen the awkwardness. She coughed lightly, her throat impossibly dry.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Okay, there was still something left to say. It twisted her insides disgustingly and she felt nauseous by just thinking about it but it needed to be done. Their problems had, after all, stemmed from her inability to be truthful with him. She had decided to tell him, no matter how embarrassing it was. But Soul practically telling her that he would never leave her, did give her more confidence but it didn't decrease her shame. With another deep intake of breath, she opened her eyes only to find Soul staring at her.

"Soul…about what happened in my room today," she began, glad that she managed to sound steady and in-control unlike minutes before.

"Y-yeah?" He released her shoulders and Maka immediately missed his warmth when he stepped away. She felt the heat crawling across her cheeks but ignoring it, she clenched her fists determinedly and continued, "I want…I…urgh…this is so embarrassing!" She almost screamed. She had to do this, damn it!

Soul walked over to the sink and let the water run. She watched him dubiously as he started to wash his hands. He squeezed a bit of detergent into his palm and began to rub his hands together, foam beginning to form between his fingers.

"I-I guess I have been a bit oversensitive lately…heh…so…," she tried again and decided to ignore his sudden urge to wash his hands. Maybe it was his way of dealing with the awkwardness. Maybe she should wash her hands too. She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, averting her eyes and thus she missed how Soul gave great attention to his hands, making sure to clean every spot visible or not, even under his short nails. He let the warm water wash away the white foam as Maka just continued to babble on. "The reason that I've never been able to tell you what was bothering me is…that…"

Soul grabbed a clean towel nearby and dried his hands. His strange behaviour right now annoyed her as her reasons for why Soul was doing it were dwindling. He turned off the tap, not directly touching it but using the towel. Since when was Soul such a clean-freak?

"Maka."

Any words she might have wanted to say were instantly cut short when he stepped close to her. She looked up with wide surprised eyes and breathed his name, not comprehending his sudden shift in behaviour.

"Do you want me to help you?" Soul whispered.

"What…what do you mean?" she asked confusedly and before she could say anything else, Soul stepped closer to her, so close that they were chest to chest, making her breath hitch.

"You know…help," he said and lifted his hand to place it on her cheek. Her eyes widened and she gulped noisily.

"S-Soul? What are you talking about?" She unconsciously took a few steps back until she was met with the edge of the table. What was this all about? Why was he acting so weird? Just seconds ago, his touches had been clumsy and now…and now…damn it…she couldn't think straight. He was so…predatory? Had it something to with his hand-washing? Did sudden and inexplicable hand-washing cause strange changes in behaviour? Did it make you act so…seductively? Her brain was a big fuzzy mess, a jumble of thoughts she couldn't make any sense of at the moment.

"You know what I'm talking about. Don't make me say it," he continued and not giving her the chance for an escape, he trapped her against the table with his arms caging her in. Her heart hammered loudly and her blood was roaring in her ears, she almost whimpered when he touched her cheek again and this time he moved his thumb slightly up and down, caressing her skin tenderly.

She knew that this was wrong but she couldn't bring herself to say it. Her mouth wouldn't work properly…was this one of her fantasies, only this time she couldn't differentiate it from reality? Was it the black blood's doing? Was it taunting her, trying to _tempt _her? She didn't know. She couldn't think. He felt so real, his tender touch and his daring fingers on her thigh. She bit her lip when he nuzzled her neck, his heated breath ghosting over her sensitive skin. This couldn't be Soul, at least not the Soul she knew because her Soul would never dare to touch her like this, he would stutter embarrassedly and not whisper her name in such a husky voice.

Oh God, was he going to kiss her? He leaned in closer and her eyes drifted shut. He was going to kiss her! She could feel his breath against her quivering lips. He was so close! He needed to come just a little bit closer. She couldn't take it anymore, why was he taking so damn long? Would he just close the diminutive gap between their lips and be done with it? She needed him and there was no way she could stop herself; her dead brain had never been a great obstacle whenever she imagined Soul's touch and right now it seemed to have shut down all of its functions. She didn't care if this was real or not or if the black blood was playing a trick on her. How could she possibly be able to ignore him, when he was doing this to her? She was so close to just yank him towards her by his hair but then…he was gone.

She blinked, feeling cold and the places he had touched tingled. She was slow on processing what had just happened or if it had happened at all until she watched Soul with a dumbfounded expression on her face almost bang his head against the wall. She flinched, startled out of her trance-like state at his erratic actions.

"What am I doing?" Soul said, asking more himself than her, and pulled at his hair forcefully. "Shit! Maka look…," he turned around, locking their gazes, and continued frantically, "…I'm sorry. Taking advantage of my partner like that…uncool! Argh…fuck!"

Slowly but surely the heavy fog that had been clouding her mind for a long time lifted as she mutely watched her partner indulge in self-destructive and manic behaviour. He had really wanted to seduce her? Why all of the sudden? She furrowed her brows, her hands were shaking and it was a mystery to her how she managed to stand still, although her knees seemed to be made of pudding.

She momentarily considered pinching herself to assure herself that this indeed was not a dream but reality. She barely refrained herself from following the impulse. Why this all of a sudden? Blair had told her that he had been turned on by what had transpired between them a few hours ago but Soul making such a drastic step was…weird.

"Soul?"

"Just forget everything," Soul said, turning around to face her again. He looked very dishevelled as if he had just gotten out of bed, his expression was that of panic and mortification. "I…wait! Scratch that. Don't forget everything…I mean…just forget what I just tried to do…I'm the worst and not cool at all."

"Soul? Why did you…I mean…this is quite sudden," she squeaked, blushing a fiery red. She preferred the total numbness of her brain over this stupid realization that made her all fidgety and shaky and self-conscious.

"I…uh…," he paused and leaned against the wall heavily and let out a deep breath, "…Blair told me and I thought…that…maybe I could help."

"Oh."

"Yeah. I mean she was probably lying anyway, so we best forget everything and just celebrate our cheesy reconciliation."

"You know…I wouldn't mind." The words were out of her mouth before she had a chance to stop them. She couldn't dwell on it for too long. What was done was done. She wouldn't try to make a sense of her words and actions right now. It would be futile and pointless.

"What!"

"I mean…I wouldn't mind if you helped me," she said, fighting the urge to groan at the stupid sexual euphemism. She looked anywhere but him, she felt light-headed and wondered if her blazing cheeks and spiking body temperature had something to with it.

"You…you what?"

"You heard me, Soul. I wouldn't turn down your help."

Oh, why was he doing this now? It was his fault in the first place. Why was he beating around the bush now, straining her thinning patience? Well, he did think that he was going to take advantage of her if he continued. She guessed that his odd behaviour wasn't completely unfounded. He was as confused as she was but still had the sense of mind to reconsider any thoughtlessness and rash actions. But still...even though his considerateness was sweet, she irrationally wished he wouldn't have stopped.

"Are you aware that everything's going to change if…if I help you?" His voice was quiet and she almost missed his rushed sentece as if it took him a lot of effort to say these words, to admit that he wasn't completely reluctant to get more intimate with her.

"I…I…" she sighed and bit her lip. He was right…but why the hell had he initiated it in the first place only to back down when she was so desperate for his touch? It was cruel and unfair! She didn't know what to do or think or feel anymore. On the one hand, she would be getting what she had been fantasizing about. And maybe if they went through with it, she wouldn't have these maddening urges to jump him anymore, perhaps it would even help the situation at hand. On the other hand, however, everything might got to hell and if she for once allowed her rational part to speak again, it would tell her that this was the more probable outcome. In spite of this, she found herself unable to care. He was willing to be intimate with her! How could she let such an opportunity slip away? She had always denied herself many things and had fought her inner temptation to maintain a high level of self-discipline to excel in academics and life.

Wouldn't it be alright to allow herself just one thing? And if Soul was fine with it…then why not? It would be only once. Making her decision she looked up, gazing intently into his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Did you buy condoms?"

She really had to think about what she was going to say beforehand. Definitely. Resisting to avert her eyes once more she watched him closely as he spluttered disbelievingly.

"What? Maka do you really know what you're talking about?" he asked, turning a very impressive shade of red and looking absolutely lost. It didn't do his cool image any justice but this was a thought she wasn't going to stupidly voice out. She might ruin everything.

"I know what I'm talking about," she replied, her voice wavering the slightest bit. "So do you have them?"

"No," he sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. "I wasn't really considering-"

"Please, don't tell me that this was all supposed to be a joke!"

If he really just wanted to screw with her head, she was going to kill him with no regards to her promise to never hit him again. This would be so demeaning, she would never hear the end of this, of her readiness to spontaneously lose her virginity to him. He would not receive any ounce of mercy from her if he-

"No! As if I would ever joke about something like this! I only told Blair that I was going to buy condoms…or else she would have never left me alone."

"Then what is this all about? Why did you touch me?"

He grimaced a bit before he responded, "I…just wasn't considering to go that far…I mean there are…other things we could do."

This time he glanced away. Maka barely managed to stop herself from trembling. She took a shivering breath and put a hand over her heart, feeling it beat furiously as if it was simply going to burst out or explode.

His words made her think about her hidden fantasies again, things that were so close to become real. Would he use his teeth and his long tongue? Would he somehow be able to quench this permanent heat between her legs? What had he in mind? What did he exactly mean with _other things _they could do. She wanted to scold him for not buying condoms but at the same time her dying rational side was relieved; at least one reason not to go through with it completely and a reason she was not foolish enough to ignore.

"Soul?"

"Y-yeah?"

She felt elated and afraid and nervous at the same time when she uttered her next words. "Let's go to my room."


	3. Of teenage inexperience

A/N: I think I need a beta reader. I have noticed that no matter how often I read through the chapters, I never manage to spot all the mistakes I have made. I hate it. Anyway...again thanks to everyone who has reviewed, put this story on alert and/or favorited even. You are so awesome!

* * *

**Chapter Three**

**Of teenage inexperience, of how Soul totally fails at kissing (it always looks good in movies) and why he is still totally awesome. **

_´What am I doing?'_

What was he doing? He vaguely knew what he was doing or at least what everything would lead to if he followed her into her room. It was not a good idea, not only because of any potential negative ramifications to their partnership but also because he had just witnessed Maka looking like she was going through a mental breakdown. He had never seen her act like that, so hysteric and fearful and not to mention that she had cried! He had never seen her cry. He had seen her saddened and melancholy and disappointed, everything perfectly displayed in the way her bottom lip would always quiver the slightest bit, although she would try to have her lips set into a deep grim line, or how her eyes would be determinedly narrowed into a hard glare in order not to let any of her insecurities slip.

If she hadn't cried, he might have even felt flattered that he was that important to her, that the possibility of leaving her - not any witches, not the black blood, not any monstrous creatures - was what brought her to timorous tears. Her eyes had been so full of fear, a fear he had rarely ever seen displayed on her face, except during missions when they had managed to evade death by a hair's breadth.

She had been emotionally vulnerable and it was probably the stupidest thing he had done, trying to seduce her. He had subconsciously expected her to crack his skull open with a book to let his brain spill all over the dining table or to kick him in the nuts and curse him with impotence or inflict other deadly injuries. But she had merely closed her eyes; she had wanted him to continue and had left him flabbergasted. Sure, Blair had told him that she was pretty desperate but still…Maka was still Maka and she wouldn't be so foolish and thoughtlessly rush into things like that. Apparently, she would.

He walked dazedly behind her as she led them to her room. It was quite strange. Their apartment wasn't very big, so why did it take them so long to get there? He let his hazy gaze travel from the back of her head down to her narrow shoulders and he couldn't help but notice how tense they were. His eyes ventured lower, tracing her back that was hidden by _his_ white shirt, it was too big for her, almost reaching her knees, ending just a few inches above.

He wasn't aware of it at first but when he faintly remembered Blair's shameless words about Maka's butt or more precisely about the firmness of her butt, did he realize that his glance was glued on her rear. He guessed that he was soon about to find out if her butt was firm or not. He made a strangled noise in the back of his throat and found his head clearing a bit, mortified at his thoughts. His steps were small and shaky and despite his inner turmoil, he followed her like an obedient puppy that did everything to make its master happy.

Without his permission his eyes wandered again, leaving her well-rounded butt to trail down her thighs and calves, gloriously exposed by her habit to leave her legs always uncovered either by wearing an illegally short skirt or casual shorts like now. He noted with particular interest how smooth and unblemished her skin looked. How did she manage that? Not rarely, was she flung around in battles, hitting dirty and hard surfaces and having monstrous claws aimed at her. Wasn't there even he tiniest of a scratch or scar? Maybe he just needed to look closer and maybe he would find some when he touched her.

Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead and for the love of all that was holy, he just couldn't keep his eyes off his meister. Why had he never noticed her; never noticed how good she looked in his overly large shirts? He wondered if she wore a bra underneath. Would she let him touch her breasts? He had after all never failed to tease her about them. How far would she allow him to go? She had asked if he had bought condoms…she was willing to lose her virginity to him! Even now, he couldn't believe it. When had she become so bold about such things? She had never been a shy person but had been rather reserved in the matters of dating, love and sex. Not that they had any time for such things.

He was quite viciously pulled from his reverie when Maka pulled the door to her room open. She did this so forcefully that it nearly ended up hitting him. Only a few inches were separating the tip of his nose from the wood of the door.

"Stop fooling around," Maka's voice cut through his clouded thoughts. He watched her with heavy-lidded eyes as she walked into her warm room and it was then the full reality about what they were about to do dawned on him. It really felt like someone had splashed him with a bucket of icy water. He stood there on the doorway, totally lost and terribly nervous. He watched Maka climbing shakily on her bed, her own nervousness clearly in the open. She sat down, her hands propped behind her and her legs sprawled out on the pink bed sheets. He stared at the fast rise and fall of her chest with each intake and exhale of breath, saw her arms trembling and her fingers gripping and twisting her blanket almost violently.

"Are you coming or not?" She sounded definitely annoyed but the noticeable tremor in her voice made her jumpiness even more obvious.

He blinked and gulped loudly, tentatively stepping into the room, feeling cold sweat dripping down his brow. He just stood there, at a total loss what to do and how to or if to start things. He had never thought it possible to feel so much at once, not that he exactly knew what he was feeling. The only emotion he could easily discern among the flurry and mismatch of several was a maddening anxiety that rooted him to the spot.

"Soul!" she was getting really pissed now, her voice had lost its nervous edge as she continued with a slight growl, "Lock the door."

He startled at her order, his direful apprehension growing and certainly not helped by her bossy behaviour. "There's no one here. Why?" He didn't even recognize his own voice, it was not the definitely not-squeaky and decidedly masculine pitch that he proudly had since the 13th year of his life.

"Lock it. Not that anyone barges in when we're…busy." She shortly glanced away and he was actually glad that she looked embarrassed for once and not so…so determined but he found it far more disturbing that she seemed to be still very indifferent to any consequences that their actions might become the cause of. He resisted the urge to sigh and run his hand through his hair. He done that ridiculously often in such a short span of time. Instead, he huffed and decided to follow the order of his meister. His hand was impossibly jittery and he was glad that he at least managed to have the key in his grasp. It took him too long to turn the key with a satisfying quiet _click._ He swallowed hard and released the doorknob he had been gripping in a white-knuckled hold unconsciously and turned around to face Maka, who was looking at him intensely, eyes wide and anticipating, watching his every move.

He wasn't quite sure how but he somehow managed to walk over to her and seat himself on the edge of her bed, the mattress squeaking slightly and shifting under his added weight.

So…

…what now?

He desperately tried to remember some of Blair's advice but found his mind completely blank. The only thing he was aware of was his furiously beating heart and his shallow breaths and how he thought he might either die out of nervousness or mortification or both.

"Maka," he began, attempting to instill at least a bit of a masculine timbre into his voice. He unknowingly clutched the pink blanket he was sitting on in nearly the same fierce grip his meister had and said, "Do you really want this? I mean…I know you said that but think about it…really think about it. I don't want us to do something that we might regret and I don't want our friendship to break because of some stupid actions we may be able to prevent."

He was afraid to look at her but he did not regret any of his words. It was the right thing to say. Or maybe not. Because the right thing to say would certainly be to express how this was wrong and how they clearly should not do it.

He was also bewildered about his sudden (or not so sudden) readiness to touch her intimately. It would be a lie if he said that he had desired his meister for a long time and needed his pent-up emotions to be released. Sure, there had been times where he had found her cute or even pretty and once very beautiful (he had never told her this) but never had he found himself aroused by thinking about her, never had it crossed his mind to engage in sexual activities with his closest friend and irreplaceable partner. Until a few hours ago, that is.

Truth to be told, his status as a Death Scythe didn't really allow him to waste his thoughts on such distracting things. They were too busy, their skills often requested by Shinigami-sama to harvest impure souls. He never had a girlfriend, had never tried to get a girlfriend, in spite of many chicks flocking around him. And sex played in so far a role in his daily life, when he needed to take care of sudden and unwanted erections, always having to take refuge in the bathroom under the shower.

Was it normal to be turned on by the thought of a person one had only have a platonic meister-weapon relationship with? Maybe his sudden need to be close to his partner stemmed from the complete lack of any sexual encounters in his life. Well, almost complete lack of encounters; he still had occasional encounters with his hand (but that didn't count). He certainly didn't want to just use Maka but he wouldn't really use her, would he? It wasn't like that there was nothing between them. He did care for her and she did care for him. Would it really be using her, when their deep emotional bond was unbreakable and chained their very souls together? But would it be alright and reason enough to touch each other intimately? Soul didn't know and he was torn between his worry for any bad consequences and his unbearable mad craving to find out if he could bring her to make the same noises, he had relished a few hours ago again.

That he had accidentally rubbed his knee against her crotch was definitely the catalyst for it and maybe Blair's tips had only added more fuel to the fire. He was starting to remember some of the things she had said (some things he wished he hadn't listened to).

He felt Maka touch his forearm tentatively, her fingers a feathery sensation and yet it still made goose bumps rise on his skin. He wondered with mild annoyance if she had contracted him with her oversensitivity.

"You have no idea how long I have been thinking about it," she said, her nails digging into his arm.

"What?"

"A long time, Soul," she gritted out, glaring at him as if she was just confessing to him the most obvious thing in the world. "And don't look at me like that! It's not my fault."

"What do you mean by that? Who else should be res-"

"You!" she suddenly yelled, making him flinch and put a save distance between them, her eyes flashed with indignant anger and her shoulders shook.

"Why is it my fault that you're horny?" he asked disbelievingly. He might be a bit afraid of her now but he would not let himself be blamed for things he hadn't done again.

She flushed and shot him another glare before she said with a calmer voice but not sounding any less stressed, "Why do you have to be so damn sexy?"

"Huh?"

"What? Don't act so surprised as if you didn't know already." She defiantly crossed her arms and stared at him haughtily.

His lips twitched, forming a faint grin. "Actually, I had no idea of your lovely opinion about me." He couldn't help it as he smirked down at her, feeling most of the tension leave his body. Would this have been in any other situation he would have a field day with this.

It was quite fascinating how quickly her posture changed. Her arms fell limply to her sides and her haughty expression was instantly replaced by one of mortification and her lips parted with surprise.

"Oh."

She looked away, finding a great interest in her blanket again. Oh, this was just too good. She thought he was sexy. Even the mere thought of Maka using the word _'sexy' _to describe anyone let alone him was just too amusing. It made him almost laugh. This was great. And an ego-boost of immeasurable extent.

"I-I thought Blair told you," she said meekly, fiddling with her fingers nervously, glancing up at him from under her bangs shyly.

"Nope. She just told me that you're frustrated and asked me if I don't want to do something about it," he informed her gleefully, baring his teeth in a large grin to her.

"Oh."

He chuckled lowly but stopped when he saw her eyes narrowing, her brows knitting and forming an irritated frown. There was no need to make her angry. He coughed slightly, trying to cover up his little amused outburst.

"This is awkward," she whispered, her blush extending down to her neck and collarbone. He wondered if it reached her breasts too but shook his head before he let his dirty mind venture any further.

"Hey," he began and reached out to her, lightly touching her shoulder. She looked up, meeting his eyes and he tried his best not to grin or smirk. "It's alright, no need to be embarrassed."

"Soul…"

"I mean who can blame you for…" he fell silent, a deeply ingrained instinct warning him of danger if he dared to continue with the words he originally wanted to say. It occurred to him that telling her she wasn't the only one who was fawning over his sexy self and superb physique and cool personality wasn't the best of ideas. Instead, he opted for a statement with more tact and decided to bring the seriousness of the situation back to focus. "I mean regardless of whose fault it is…do you really want to do this?"

"I want to," she said, keeping her eyes averted and in spite of her nervousness, her voice was steady and certain if a bit hushed. "Truth to be told…I actually can't imagine doing this with anyone else. I trust you."

Her quietly spoken admission left him speechless. He could only sit there and stare at her like an idiot, his mouth agape. A strange fluttery feeling spread in his stomach, making him feel oddly warm and light-headed. He was glad that he was sitting, he wasn't sure if he would have been able to stand still at her words. He knew she trusted him. What kind of messed-up partnership would they have if she didn't trust her weapon…but damn! Maka 'being-not-very-fond-of-men-and-doesn't-give-a-shit-about-romance-and-sex' Albarn also trusted him with her body…in that way? He could practically melt at the look she was giving him; green eyes wide and apprehensive, she looked so damn earnest and he could not bring himself to doubt her words, not bring himself to follow the line of thought that perhaps, she only said it to finally convince him that it was alright to do this.

"Maka…I…"

He didn't know what to say, didn't know how to reply to her sweet words. He had never been good with words anyway but he felt foolish, fighting for words like a kid. Should he tell her that it was the same for him? That he couldn't imagine doing this with any other woman than her? It wouldn't be exactly a lie but not entirely the truth either. He rarely thought about things like that…all allegations of him being a pervert notwithstanding. Yeah, some teenage boy he was.

"Soul? Is something wrong?"

He sighed harshly, his blood pulsing loudly and his heart throbbing as he regarded Maka with almost despairing eyes. He couldn't bear the look she was giving him, couldn't stand looking into her eyes in fear of drowning in them. They were so ridiculously green, practically flashing with emotion, with her damn _cute_ earnestness and her unconditional trust in him.

His gaze fell on her mouth, the tiny gasps that were escaping her basked his skin with searing heat. Her lips looked so very inviting, pale pink and just asking to be devoured. He doubted that she did it on purpose, there was no way she could have known that the way the tip of her wet tongue slipped out of her mouth to moisten her dry lips, would make his heart flutter and pound viciously in his chest, making his body tremble uncontrollably.

"Screw this!"

It made perfectly sense to just fling himself at her and place his hands on her cheeks to press his lips against hers.

Bad idea.

"Oof…So-Soul!"

Instead of enjoying a perfect and passionate first kiss, they ended up bumping noses, foreheads…hell, everything bumped except for their lips. He missed her mouth by a few millimetres, his bottom lip grazing just the corner of her parted lips. So uncool. He lay on top of her, frozen on the spot and unable to move. What had he done? He had wanted to kiss her…but missed her lips? Although it would be a very undignified thing to do, he had the instant urge to bawl his eyes out like a baby. He was glad that he at least managed to keep that in check. Why was he so stupid? Why had he thrown himself at her so mindlessly?

Damn it! It always looked good in movies.

Their current position gave him a strange sense of déjà vu as he lay on top of her, squishing her against her bed.

"Soul!" Maka pushed angrily against him, thrashing violently until he quickly sat up releasing her face, his cheeks blazing. "What was that supposed to be?" she bellowed, sitting up as well and fisting her hands fiercely in her blanket, as if she meant to rip it into thousands of tiny shreds. He could faintly imagine it him being twisted and shredded into tiny little pieces, he might have even preferred that to explaining his behaviour to her now.

He awkwardly scratched his head, having never felt so utterly uncool in his young life. He had thought that after having managed to accidentally stimulate his partner and having ineptly tried to seduce said partner, there was no way his level of coolness could drop any more. It seemed that some higher force was adamant to prove him wrong and show him that there were countless other ways to make an idiot of himself.

"I…uh…uh…" he began, feeling like such a loser, and looked into her furious green eyes droopily. He unconsciously rubbed an aching spot on his forehead, wincing a bit. It wasn't even that he had gracefully made her lean back and lay down, no, he had really crashed straight into her, hitting his forehead against hers painfully. "I tried to kiss you."

This was so humiliating.

"Why would you want to do _that_?" she asked distastefully, her voice shrill and quivering and he was certain that he was going to drop dead if she continued to glare at him like that.

"Uh…we need to start somehow and I thought…I thought that a kiss would be a good way to start," he stuttered, watching Maka's tense shoulders relax and her glare soften much to his relief.

"You should have warned me," she said huffishly.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I've never done this before," he admitted and not managing to hold her petulant gaze, he looked away.

Great…he doubted that many were instant experts when they tried kissing someone for the first time…but completely missing the lips? Even a true idiot would have managed to do at least that right. Even Black*Star would have gotten it right! He wanted to smack himself. He should have gone about it more slowly and gently, should have made them ease into the kiss. He sighed shakily and was about to apologize again for ruining everything from the start until he felt her hand against his forearm again, making him look back at her.

She didn't appear to be angry anymore, instead her eyes were wide once more. She wore the same expression when she had told him that she couldn't imagine doing this with anyone else. It made him release a sigh of relief. Maybe he hadn't screwed up everything.

"I've never done something like this before either," she said, her voice soothing his tense nerves. She smiled shyly and then continued, "How about we try again…but don't do anything rash this time."

He nodded, not trusting his own voice, afraid that his answer might come out as an embarrassed squeak. He shook his head lightly; better not to think…or better yet forget about his stupid move completely.

Okay, what now? Should he kiss…_try _to kiss her again? Blair had told him that this was a good way to start but hadn't really given him any details about it. She had plenty of details about other things…about things he wouldn't even have fantasized about in his worst hormonal frenzy. Apparently, she didn't think that there was a need to mention the specifics of kissing. He could only recall that she had told him about not to use tongue too soon. He hadn't even made it that far. How pathetic. Why hadn't she elaborated on the basics more and had instead lectured him about some weird sex positions that seemed to be more adequate for breaking one's bones than making sex a great experience? Maybe she thought there wasn't much that could go wrong with kissing.

Damn it! Cool guys were supposed to sweep their women off their feet! He wasn't doing something that even remotely resembled that!

He felt so helpless and stupid and Maka's expectant gaze didn't help either. What should he do? He was a bit afraid to lean in for a kiss. Who knew what else he was capable of screwing up. Maybe their noses would bump. So he had to angle his head a bit, right? Or what if he accidentally ended up biting her? He was certain that Maka would never forgive him that. And what should he do with his hands? Should he put them on her shoulders? On her waist? Would it be too bold to place them on her hips? Maybe he should once again try to touch her cheeks but this time more gently like he had done in the kitchen. That didn't sound bad. And this time he was going to be more careful approaching her. He would do no such idiotic thing, trying to push her down onto the mattress, especially not by flinging himself against her. Gravity was a hurtful bitch!

But what should he do when he managed to find her lips with his? Should he let them remain against hers unmoving? Should he part them? Should he apply pressure against her mouth? When was the right time to pull away? And what did Blair mean with not using tongue too soon? Was there a certain moment when he knew he should change a chaste kiss to a more passionate one? Would Maka like it? Would she respond? Or would she just smack him for his inaptitude. And what if the kiss became too wet; what if he _drooled_ into her mouth? How was he supposed to move his tongue? And what the hell was he going to do with his hands then? He couldn't possibly let them remain on her cheeks the whole time, especially not since she had made it very clear that she didn't want this encounter to be chaste and innocent. Was it alright to just grope her? Or should he just pull her closer?

How could a simple kiss be so damn complicated? He had never known how much could really go wrong during a kiss…_a kiss_, which was just the first step. He was probably going to fail epically when they took things further.

Damn it! With his panic and aggravation increasing quickly, he desperately tried to remember some of Blair's words, which might be helpful now. He knew what he had to do when Maka would be aroused but how the hell could he get her aroused without messing things up?

Maka regarded him with furrowed brows, his process of thinking and contemplation taking far too long. It didn't make him feel any less panicky. He had the instant urge to crawl into a corner and mourn his lost coolness. His hands were trembling terribly, he couldn't even hide it. Maka's gaze, leaving his wide and perplexed eyes, travelled slowly down to his hands. He was such a failure. She probably didn't want to do this anymore, despite her initial words. But wasn't this a good thing? They didn't have to worry about any negative repercussions afterwards. But what if she - in her desperate and frustrated state of mind - just decided to grab another man, someone who was more experienced and would make it the best experience of her life? There was no fucking way he would ever let it come that far.

"Soul?"

She was once again looking into his eyes and before he could act on the impulse to just kiss her somehow, she grabbed his wrist with both of her hands, biting her lip nervously. He felt a bit uneasy but also a bit relieved that she was making the first step now. Maybe she knew what to do. She shortly glanced away, her eyes now innocently large and uncertain, lacking the fiery determination from before. She appeared to be contemplating something, looking deep in thought.

She then, meeting his questioning eyes again, released his wrist. He felt a bit disappointed. So she had decided against him? Instead of telling him to go away with his inexperience, she silently brought her hands to the hem of her shorts and simply proceeded to pull them down, her timid gaze never leaving his. His breath caught and he was sure his eyes were going to bulge out of their sockets as she squirmed a bit, pulling her shorts down to her knees, exposing her pink cotton panties. He gulped noisily and stared wondrously down at her, unable to tear his gaze away.

He irrationally wondered why she wasn't taking her (his) shirt off at first. Wasn't it how it was supposed to be? No matter what kind of movie he watched, whenever there was a sex scene in it, the tops vanished first. He scowled. Yeah and pressing oneself abrasively against one's partner in order to kiss her, made her respond zealously by sucking his face like a wanton, which consequently lead to hot and passionate sex.

He shook his head incredulously. Why was he thinking about such rubbish when a girl was just undressing in front of him? He really was an idiot. And not in a movie.

"Uhm…would you like to continue?" Maka asked demurely, placing her hands onto the mattress again, letting her shorts dangle at her knees. He looked from her half-stripped shorts to her panties and then into her awaiting eyes.

"S-sure," he replied, trying not to sound too eager, and glanced back at her shorts. He slowly reached out, hooked his fingers into the elastic of the skimpy garment and pulled it from her angled knees down her shins, slipping it off her feet and throwing it onto the ground soundlessly.

Trying to swallow his fear and trying not to make his shakiness too obvious, he tentatively crawled over to her, intent on touching her and doing something right. Maka shifted a bit, making room for him on the bed and wrapped her hands around his wrist again. He sucked in a deep startled breath when she spread her legs a little and guided his hand between her thighs, placing it flat against her crotch. His eyes widened at the wetness against his fingers.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Already? How-"

She averted her eyes bashfully and worried her bottom lip with her teeth. "Don't ask," she squeaked, sounding absurdly embarrassed, a quite contrast to how one of her hands - he wasn't sure which, he was far too dazed to take notice of such irrelevant things- was pressing urgently against the back of his hand, silently demanding to move his fingers against her wet core already.

"Touch me, Soul," she commanded throatily and beckoned for him to come closer. He followed her order wordlessly, his heart racing as he settled clumsily between her legs, his hand still pressed firmly against her whilst his other hand was awkwardly placed on top of her knee.

Breathing shakily, he started to rub against her with his fingers, Maka's own slender digits guiding him readily. His eyes never left hers. Her gaze was hypnotising, her eyes so impossibly green that he was sure he was going to get lost in them. What had Blair told him again? She had told him an awful lot about foreplay, skipping the kissing part of course. He couldn't possibly just kneel between her legs like that the whole time.

He tentatively raised his hand from her knee and touched her cheek lightly. He carefully moved forward, inching his face closer to Maka's, his lips ghosted over her cheekbone and across her jawline, he nuzzled her neck, taking in her scent, faintly smelling her shampoo, like he had done moments ago in the kitchen. He was rewarded with Maka shivering but he wasn't sure if it was because of his fingers against her crotch, which was still hidden by her soaked panties, or because of the things he was doing now.

He planted a soft kiss against the smooth skin of her neck, feeling with smug satisfaction her erratically beating pulse under his lips. Encouraged by her reaction, he started to trail small kisses up and down her neck. He remained cautious, afraid that he might startle her or go too far too soon; his lips were pressed together, not daring to let his eager tongue slip out to taste her skin. Only when he slowly reached her small earlobe, did he flick his tongue against it, partly curious and partly anxious.

His anxiousness was forgotten swiftly, when Maka took a deep quivering breath, her lips parting but no sound escaping her. He smirked wryly against her, glad and proud that he managed to do something right. He boldly took her earlobe between his teeth and carefully sucked on it. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her with his teeth because he was getting too smug and venturous. But Maka's reaction, her increased trembling and her cute gasp, was enough to assuage his frayed nerves. He was starting to feel cool again. He wasn't apparently a total sucker. He snorted inwardly…no, he was awesome, despite his initial stupidity and incompetence, he had managed to make Maka shiver and shudder pleasantly with just a few nips and kisses on her skin. This was undeniably a very cool feat.

He barely noticed Maka's own hands wandering from his squared shoulders down his chest, lightly pushing against him. For a split second, he dismayingly thought that he had screwed up after all and she wanted him to stop. His lips released the reddened spot on her neck, he had been skilfully (of course) sucking.

"Take off your shirt," she said breathily, startling him with her low and dazed voice momentarily.

"Wha-what?"

She didn't answer him, instead releasing a slight growl, she gripped the hem of his shirt tightly and pulled it up, revealing his abs and a part of his scar. He could only obediently raise his arms as she eagerly pulled the offensive garment quickly off. She made fast use of her hands on his newly exposed skin. He watched her with a fascinated tilt of his head as she greedily ran her fingertips up and down his chest, tracing his scar with a melancholic expression that made him want to take her in a comforting embrace. He shivered involuntarily and closed his eyes; her touch was so tender and feathery, exploring and seeking where he liked to be touched the most.

"Maka."

She looked up questioningly but her hands didn't stop moving inquisitively. Putting his hands on top of her smaller ones, he halted her movements much to her confused dismay. Her peevish frown spoke volumes but he merely grinned at her, causing her frown to deepen.

"Lay down," he whispered and pressed a hand against her shoulder gently. She complied but huffed nevertheless as she positioned herself more comfortably on her bed, her head placed snugly on her soft pillow. He intently watched her expression change from irritation to a more apprehensive one, her narrowed eyes widened as she looked him deep in the eyes helplessly, burying her teeth in her plump bottom lip.

"Don't do that," he said, stroking her lips with his thumb softly, stopping her nervous gnawing. His eyes were full of awe as he caressed her smooth skin, his fingers travelling from her cheek down her neck, smiling smugly when his fingers came to rest on the reddish-purple spot he was responsible for on her otherwise unblemished skin. His other hand massaged the inside of her thigh, inching higher up her leg until he found her moist panties again. This time he didn't need Maka's hand to guide him.

"Take them off, Soul," she said, throwing her head to the side with a sigh.

"Uh…already? I mean…isn't it too soon?"

Shit! He was losing his cool again, the nervousness he had successfully been ignoring for the past minutes, came back with a vengeance, making his stomach drop and twist in a flurry of other unpleasant emotions.

"No. Just take them off."

Okay then. If she insisted. Gulping nervously, he hesitantly brought his hands to the hem of her panties and with a short forgettable moment of contemplation, pulled them down, letting them slip down her smooth legs, marvelling at her newly exposed skin.

He stared. He didn't even try to be discreet about it and simply threw her panties carelessly to the ground without taking his eyes off her. She was nearly completely naked, save for the shirt that covered her chest but…it didn't really hide anything from him. He could see the contours of her lithe curves, her nipples already hard and perfectly visible in spite of the shirt covering her.

Maka squirmed a bit and pressed her legs together in a useless attempt to hide herself. He glanced up at her to meet her flushed face, looking uneasy.

"Do…do you want to stop?" he asked, despite the maddening urge to pry her legs open to touch her, to rub his fingers against her wet folds, to hear her cry out in pleasure.

She shook her head, her pale hair sliding down the pillow with the slight movement. He was about to ask her again but before he uttered his considerate question, she parted her legs slightly, not enough for him to settle between them again but enough to reveal herself completely to his greedy eyes. She looked away, eyes closed and her embarrassed blush a bit discouraging. If she felt uncomfortable, he could stop right away. He just sat there, unmoving and a bit lost, not knowing how to proceed right now.

"It's alright, Soul. It's just a bit weird to…you know…it's a bit embarrassing. But I want you to continue."

"A-Alright," he said and tentatively ran his hands up her legs, enjoying the silky texture of her skin. With slight pressure against her inner thighs, he parted them more so he could once again settle between her legs. He blinked dumbly, again at a loss of what to do as he stared at her slick folds. So how should he touch her? What had Blair said again? She had told him not to touch her clit too soon and that he shouldn't insert a finger in her too early either. So the best way to start would be to lightly touch her folds, right? But when she was ready for more how should he proceed then? And what if he accidentally hurt her? What if he was too rough or what if he - in his fear of hurting her - touched her too lightly, leaving her annoyed and unsatisfied? There were so many things that could go wrong and he probably wasn't even aware of the many things he could do wrong.

"Does it…look weird?" Maka asked timidly, pulling him out of his panicky reverie.

"What?"

"I mean…I…my…you know," she mumbled and squirmed self-consciously. She would have probably pressed her legs together again if he hadn't already been sitting between them.

"Oh. _Oh!_" Realization slowly but surely dawned on him. She determinedly held his gaze, although she seemed to want to look anywhere but him. "I…uh…no it doesn't look weird. Not at all! I'm just…uhm…it's just that…I've never seen a…a…a…"

A what?

Pussy? Cunt? Vulva?

Vulva sounded far too clinical to use in such a situation. Not sexy at all. The other two sounded too dirty and he was certain that Maka would smash his head if he referred to her…private parts using such a crude language. Why was there no middle ground? Not to mention that he intended to tell her he had never seen one so close in 'real'. That would probably earn him another punch and hours of painfully embarrassing questions and measly attempts on his part to explain himself that he had watched porn once (or twice or more than twice; not that he had found it particularly sexy or anything).

"Don't worry it doesn't look weird," he quickly said, trying to reassure her.

She didn't look convinced for a moment but then nodded with a quiet hum. "Okay…continue then."

He squeezed her legs comfortingly and taking a deep shuddering breath, he finally guided his fingers between her thighs. Maka hissed slightly when his fingers brushed against her slick folds. She was terribly wet and he wondered why. He hadn't done much at least not so much to have her in such an aroused state. He would like to think that his sexy presence alone was enough to make Maka horny. Maybe she really was that sensitive and there wasn't much that needed to be done. Or maybe she had done something beforehand. The thought that she had been touching herself preferably whilst thinking about him was a surprising turn-on.

He rubbed her wet flesh slowly and gently, partly because he was afraid he might hurt her and partly because he needed to…to acquaint himself with her. He relished her erratic and ragged breathing and that she was breathing so heavily because of him, because of what he was doing to her made him immensely proud. Bracing himself above her with his free hand, he swooped down. His mouth immediately attacked her neck, kissing, sucking and licking greedily. He wanted more of her, more of her sweet voice, wanted to hear her moan his name.

When his finger brushed against a particularly sensitive spot, she mewled with a toss of her head, her cheek pressing into the soft pillow underneath her. His lips quirked into a slight grin. Finally a success! But it wasn't enough. He wanted to hear more.

He was a bit nervous (more than ever) and scared when he clumsily fumbled with his fingers until he found her opening, rubbing leisurely around it and looked into her eyes, asking silently for permission. Her gaze was heavy lidded and hazy and she certainly didn't look like she understood him. For a short moment, he feared that he had to verbalize his question. But he would never continue until he had her permission to go further even if he had to put his intentions into words he would most probably - if he was lucky - only manage to stutter and mumble out.

"Soul!" she groaned but much to his chagrin and confusion it wasn't a groan of pleasure but it sounded more annoyed than anything. Maka firmly grasped the fingers that were toying with her damp skin between her legs. "You have to put it in here!" she bit out feverishly, sounding far too much like an exasperated mother scolding her little kid for making the same mistake during homework over and over again. With a swift adjustment of her hand she directed his forefinger into her opening, making just the tip of his finger enter her.

He spluttered disbelievingly, gaping and struggling for a cool comeback. She took his moment of considerate hesitation for his lack of experience? Of course, he knew where to put his fingers in! He just didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable and she had the nerve to be angry.

"I know where to put it in," he grumbled peevishly.

He scowled darkly as he slid his finger slowly inside her. Her sharp intake of breath, followed by a small whimper of his name made his irritation with her vanish instantly, replaced with a newfound smugness again. He felt her clamp down on his finger, surprising him how tight she was. He pulled it out, in the same unhasty tempo like before. Her lips parted, letting out a small moan. Yes, this was it! The voice he had been aching to hear again for hours.

He watched her face contort and twist in pleasure as his single finger thrust in and out of her, trying to build a steady rhythm. He lowered his mouth to her neck again, his lips hungrily kissing and licking a wet trail from the base of her pale neck up to her ear. He suckled on her earlobe shortly before he licked the shell of her ear sensually.

Her hot puffs of breath made him shiver from the heat ghosting over his sensitive skin. Damn it! He was growing hard. There was no way he could stop his erection, not when she was moaning like that, not when she was whimpering his name, not when she was eagerly gripping his hand and begged him to not to stop.

There was much more he could do. He considered this the perfect time to put Blair's advise to good use. What had she called it again? The Double Come Hither Technique? Yeah, something stupid like that. He pulled his finger out, causing Maka to whine in protest pitifully. He grinned down at her, wordlessly promising her more to come. He just hoped that it was going to work…if not…well, it would take time to recover from that. His palm facing upwards, her pressed his forefinger and middle finger together and slid them inside her again easily thanks to her slickness. Maka threw her head back with a wordless cry, her eyes drifting shut.

Pulling his fingers leisurely out of her, he pushed them back in but this time he crooked his fingers, caressing her walls gently. Her eyes shot open and for a short panicky moment, he thought that it was too much, too intense for her or that he had hurt her.

"Soul!"

Her back arched and her hips bucked against his hand urgently. "Do…do that again!"

Although stunned by her heady voice, he complied happily, his fingers incessantly moving, crooking and stroking and caressing nimbly. He never knew…would have never thought her to be able to ever make such noises. Moans, which were getting higher and higher in pitch, the way she gasped wantonly, the way she cried out his name throatily, how she begged him to continue with such need, little mewls and whimpers that drove him wild…he couldn't take it anymore.

He was hard as a rock and it was fucking uncomfortable. His jeans were too tight, his throbbing shaft aching to be released from such painful confines. But he just hissed, ignoring it for the sake of pleasuring Maka. Who knew what stupid things he might do if he took his pants off? His brain would shut down completely and his dick would be doing all the thinking.

Her flushed face, tossing from side to side, was quite a sight to behold. The innocent Maka Albarn he had never failed to tease about her lack of sex appeal, not even caring that she was moaning loudly and not trying to silence her cries of pleasure. Lack of sex appeal? Considering that he wanted to do nothing more than to tear all of their remaining clothes off and pound into her like there was no tomorrow, he could quite easily say that he was neither going to say such stupid stuff nor even think it ever again.

He didn't know what possessed him to ask her, didn't even have the time to think about his words properly when they stumbled out his mouth in a heated whisper against her ear. "Can I touch you with my tongue?"

His mind was foggy and hazy and he couldn't bring himself to feel mortified at his words.

"Huh? W-what?"

"Can I touch you with my tongue?" he repeated, enjoying how unfocused her gaze was, how difficult it was for her talk. She bit her lip to hold back a whimper and her hands clenched and twisted the bed sheet beneath her roughly as he continued to pump into her with his skilled fingers, brushing against a certain spot that made her impossible to think, let alone talk clearly. And it was all because of him.

"Maka?" he breathed against her ear and nuzzled her neck affectionately, lapping at the sweaty skin there with languid slides of his long tongue. Only when he felt her nails digging into his shoulder, did he raise his head to meet her clouded eyes again but not before giving her skin a last teasing bite.

"You-you mean…down there?" she asked throatily.

"Yeah…down there," he answered huskily, pressing against her and twisting his fingers inside her in a way that made her let out a strangled yelp.

"Mmm…yes! Please!"

He blinked in surprise, yet again taken aback by her eagerness and again when he pulled his fingers out of her completely without sliding them back in, earning him a frustrated whine from Maka. As he tried to get properly situated between her thighs, his hand next to her head accidentally tangled with her hair as he needed to shift and change his position whilst he used that hand to brace himself above her.

"Ouch…Soul, my hair!"

He immediately withdrew his hand. "Uh…sorry," he mumbled under his breath and quickly glanced away from her testy gaze.

So not cool.

He slid further down her body without looking her in the eyes, quiet embarrassed about his clumsiness, especially after he had become so cool about pleasing her. He spread her legs further apart to make enough room for him to settle there comfortably. Maka complied and only let out a small squeak of embarrassment about being opened so wide. Now was certainly not the time to be embarrassed. She was the one who was keen on being licked by him.

Blair had warned him not to expect anything amazingly tasty like vanilla or chocolate when he did this. Not that he would have; only because he was a virgin didn't mean that he had absolutely no idea but it seemed that in Blair's world virgin was a synonym for idiot. She had told him that Maka would taste like sex. Although she had also told him that every woman tasted different, she had persisted that his meister would taste like sex since there was no better way to describe it and thus everyone tasted like sex, although everyone tasted different.

Yeah, this had been pretty much the moment he had stopped listening to the cat. And when she had started to talk about the pH of the vagina, he had initially been surprised that the cat wanted to enlighten him about every little detail of sex and that she actually knew about pH because in Soul's world promiscuous was a synonym for idiot. Yes, he was biased but he couldn't help it, not when his meister's father and the current Death Scythe was such a sex maniac and doubtlessly and idiot. And especially not when he lived with a humanoid cat, which seemed to have a thing for young boys, considering that his tender age of 13 hadn't dissuaded her much of assaulting him.

He grasped Maka's legs shakily and pulled her knees over his shoulders letting them rest there after much aimless squirming and writhing without managing to settle between her legs somewhat comfortably. He winced at the odd position he was in, his erection more constrained than ever. She let out another embarrassed squeal but did nothing to stop him, instead she partly sat up, her eyes fixed on his form intently as she leaned a bit against the headboard awkwardly.

His breathing was loud and nervous and before he had the chance to scrutinize every little detail of her and make her feel self-conscious again, he tentatively ran his tongue over her slick flesh. It wasn't really gross but not particularly tasty either. There was nothing he could compare her taste to. It was somewhat tangy and he had to grudgingly admit that saying she tasted like sex was the easiest yet also the most accurate description he could think of.

He licked her slowly and experimentally, getting used to the strange taste. Every flick of his tongue was more haphazard than calculated, its tip slightly poking her entrance before it ventured higher, finding her clit. Maka hissed and threw her head back, banging it against the headboard noisily. He only let out an amused hum at her funny expression. He carefully stroked her clit, unsure how to proceed and how much pressure to apply. He was delighted and startled at the same time when Maka tugged at his hair quite firmly, pulling him closer with a moan. Emboldened by her action and her delicious voice, calling his name almost desperately, his mouth enclosed over the swollen little nub and began to suck on it.

Her fingers dug into his scalp painfully but he didn't care, too entranced how she cried out her pleasure in abandon, how she stared down at him with a heavy-lidded gaze. He remembered Blair's words about how a good lover's hands were never still when he pleasured his partner with his mouth and so he began to knead and massage her thighs, at least as much as he could in this position. Leaving one hand on her leg, he released the other and slowly slid a finger inside her again, his mouth never leaving her, sucking leisurely, flicking his tongue over and around her clit.

Her reaction was instantaneous. With a high-pitched cry, her back arched and she hit her head again but didn't seem to be fazed by it this time. Why should she when he was so expertly pleasuring her anyway? His lips quirked into a self-satisfied grin against her skin. Her moans and whimpers rose in pitch, her body trembled uncontrollably and her hips bucked against his mouth and finger and her grip on his hair tightened even more. When he slid his finger into her again, he crooked it like he had done so moments before. With the added sensation of his lips and tongue however, she could only helplessly sob his name as he stroked and caressed her deftly.

He was definitely going to make her come. She could not avoid it. His finger pumped into her quickly, the pace unrelenting but still gentle; his tongue moved incessantly against her clit, licking and sucking until her cries and moans consisted only of his name. He didn't stop when her legs clamped around his head violently, quivering and shaking as he did his work on her, although for a short moment he was convinced she was going to strangle him. At least it would be a great way to go.

He was unprepared and quite surprised when she climaxed. It was sudden and he hadn't expected it to happen so fast, what with Blair telling him it was more difficult for a woman to have an orgasm and all. Her back arched again, her breathing heavy and raspy, and her body became momentarily rigid, only to unravel the split-second after. Her legs shook and her eyes screwed shut, he could feel her muscles clench and contract, clamping down on his finger he managed to move in spite of his surprise. She shivered and trembled, her hands clawing his head and shoulders, her nails heedlessly scratching and burying in his skin as she moaned loudly and hoarsely. He squeezed her thigh as let her ride out her orgasm, not stopping his movements until she went completely slack with a last breathy cry.

He untangled her legs from him, letting them slide down. He sat up, ignoring the pain in his back and absentmindedly licked his wet fingers and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand when he stared down at her, marvelling at what he had accomplished. He had made a girl reach an orgasm with his first try! She looked so unbelievably hot right know with her spread legs, flushed face and parted lips. Her eyes were still closed so he just drank her in with his eyes, he smiled, incredibly satisfied and proud of himself.

When she opened her eyes and sluggishly sat up, his smile vanished. She shortly glanced up at him dazedly before she fixed her gaze at the quite prominent bulge in his pants. His smug confidence just deflated like an abused ball quickly. He felt like the experience and knowledge, he had just acquired, disappeared as if everything that had just happened had nothing been more than a mere dream.

"Soul, can I-"

His hand shot out before he actually realized that Maka's hand had inched dangerously close to his dick. His grasp around her wrist was tight and probably painful; he only loosened his hold when she gasped and looked up at him, startled.

"No, I think that's enough."

If he let her continue, he didn't know how far they would go, didn't know if he could control himself, wasn't sure if she would stop him. No, he couldn't risk going further even if his dick ached for attention, even if he was more than eager to see her fingers wrapped around him and maybe have her mouth suck on him to return the favour.

He slowly stood up, releasing her wrist. "So…uhm…I'm glad I could be of help."

And with that after fumbling needlessly long with the lock he waddled out of the room like a clumsy penguin without a glance back, mortified at his thoughtless and moronic words. When he reached his room, he made sure to lock the door behind him.

Right now, Soul wasn't sure how to feel. On the one hand, he could not deny how awesome he was. He was certain that not many could make a girl come the first time they tried something with her. He was so cool! But on the other hand, he hadn't just pleasured any girl but his meister. How was this going to affect their friendship? Should he pretend that nothing had ever happened? He snorted. As if it would ever work. He had no right to regret what had happened; he hadn't been drunk, he had been fully aware of what he was doing and had also thought about how it might change their partnership but he had gone through with it regardless.

He groaned and unbuttoned his jeans, letting them drop to the floor. He let out a sigh of relief as his erection was finally freed, only his boxers covering it. He could bemoan or celebrate his actions later, he had work to do now. With another sigh he pulled his boxers down.


	4. Of awkward breakfasts

A/N: This chapter took me longer to write than expected and ended up completely different from what I had initially planned. I hope you'll like it. I want to thank my super-awesome beta-reader Keri, who, despite being busy, has patiently corrected my several mistakes. She really did a great job with this.

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**Chapter Four**

**Of awkward breakfasts, of how Maka utterly fails at not leering at her partner (put a shirt on, damn it!) and how she decides to don sexy lingerie.**

Today, Maka learned something new. Thanks to Blair and her tendency to share her limitless wisdom with everyone susceptible to furious and amusingly embarrassed stammering and Maka's own naïve lack of detailed knowledge in this particular field, it had ended up being an embarrassing encounter for the meister much to the unbridled delight of the magical cat.

Maka, after having woken up as a sweaty and clammy mess, her sheets enveloping her small body uncomfortably, had only wanted to do nothing more than curse the obnoxiously bright (so horribly, horribly bright) sun. It had been approximately twenty minutes after the memories from last night crashed down onto an unassuming and groggy Maka and another half to full hour until she managed to regain a semblance of a calm demeanour, after which she simply had decided to take a cold shower.

A shower so cold that she would never be able to think about Soul in a sexual way.

Thirty minutes later, clattering and shaking, skin pale and lips and hands blue from the horrible yet self-induced iciness, after having gotten dressed, she had freaked out once again as her temperature had spiked because of the unbearable warmth and the memories from last night.

And now she was busy preparing breakfast like nothing was out of the ordinary. At 11 a.m. it was later than usual for her to make breakfast, although she had been awake since 8 o'clock. This was partly due to the fact that she had no idea how to approach Soul, partly out of her inability to remain calm for more than twenty minutes before the image of Soul kneeling between her legs and…and having fun popped into her head and caused her to have a freak-out of epic proportions.

"You're blushing again, Maka-chan."

Ah yes. She had almost forgotten but Blair was still there, teasing and bothering her. Maka's grasp on the knife was tight and her head was lowered, her messy bangs hiding her deadly glare from the cat's smug view.

"You were thinking about how Soul-"

Maka simply rammed the knife blade-first into the cutting board with a dull noise, without looking up to see how Blair faltered and how she spared the knife, on which Maka still had a white-knuckled hold, a frightened glance for a split second only to mutter a quiet apology.

After a drawn-out silence, Maka resumed the cutting. Inwardly, she smiled. Maybe she should do this more often. She had to admit that Blair didn't tease her as much as she would have usually. When Maka really thought about it, she had been very lenient with her actually. Of course, she hadn't wasted any time to interrogate her about yesterday's happenings, had never stopped asking and Maka had managed to calm her down when she admitted that Soul and her hadn't had sex.

But this hadn't been enough to satisfy the cat and she had thus pressed the matter further, albeit not with the same vigour from before. And this is how Blair had found out how far they had gone and how Maka learned the hand sign for cunnilingus. When Blair had casually spread the fore- and middle finger of her left hand, positioning them in front of her lips, which were stretched wide into a lewd grin, Maka had at first blinked with a questioning tilt of her head. It was only when Blair had proceeded to slip out her tongue between her spread fingers and make licking motions, Maka had come to realize what exactly the V-sign was supposed to depict.

She had ended up as a flustering and spluttering mess, cursing and damning the shameless cat into the deepest pits of hell and Blair, completely unfazed by her breakdown, had simply giggled and sat down with a smug smile on her face.

But other than that Blair had left her alone, well except for the few times she apparently thought it fit to remind her of her blush and make a fine guess of what was going through her dirty mind that could be the cause of said blush.

"So are you and Soul finally together now?" Blair asked.

"What?" Maka's eyes narrowed as she glanced up from the vegetables in front of her to look at the cat.

Blair sighed, sounding oddly exasperated. "You know…_together_. As in together as a couple. Romantically. An item."

Maka put the knife down and eyed the cat warily, trying to hide her surprise. "No," she said slowly, her fingers absentmindedly toying with a pigtail. "Why do you think that Soul and I would be together?"

Blair scoffed and Maka wondered if her bad mood was somehow connected with her limited taunting today. Was her good humour dependant from a certain quantity of teasing and making annoying sexual innuendoes?

"Why do I think that?" Her amber gaze was sharp and stern, making Maka almost wish that she would return to giggling and grinning like a moron. "Maybe because he licked your pussy."

Okay, scratch that. She preferred a moody Blair to this, she regretted deeply to ever wishing Blair's lewd side would return. A quieter and more subdued Blair was a lot more bearable, if a bit unusual.

"Blair!" Maka gasped indignantly and stammered about the cat's crude shamelessness as she slapped her hands against her face, muffling her squeaky voice.

"Sorry, sorry," Blair said, waving a hand in a lazy apology and Maka dared to peek from between her fingers curiously. "I mean since Soul performed oral sex on you, I thought that now you would be together. You don't just let anybody lick your…pus- I mean vulva without any reason, right?"

Maka blinked, flabbergasted that such words had actually left the crude cat's mouth. That she knew such terms…was…was-

She fought back a hysteric giggle at her choice of words. Such relatively clinical terms coming out of Blair's mouth, was just so odd to hear.

"I…," Maka began and gulped. Her throat felt impossibly dry; she licked her lips before she continued uncertainly. "No, Soul and I aren't together."

"Why not?"

Maka frowned and clenched her fists, Blair regarding her with a look of…of… maybe it was disapproval or...was it disappointment? Maka wasn't sure. Why did she feel guilty now?

"Why should we be together? We had never intended to be romantically involved." It felt so wrong to say that but Maka knew that saying the opposite wouldn't have made her feel better. Because she didn't love Soul…at least not romantically. Yes, she did care for him deeply and could never wish for a better and more devoted partner but she did not love him.

That they had touched each other intimately last night, did not stem from love.

"So you only wanted it to be a one-time thing? A fling? A one-night-stand?" Blair's voice, although light and cheerful again, if a bit disbelieving, cut through her inner musings like a sharp knife, sudden and effectively killing any arguments Maka might have had to defend her statements.

She flinched. When she said it like that, it sounded even worse when she tried to rationalize it. But when she really thought about it, it was the truth, wasn't it? She had sworn to herself that doing something like that would happen only once, only to stop her mad craving and urges to jump him whenever she set her eyes on him and his so delectable body. It hadn't crossed her mind to have a deeper relationship with Soul, didn't want it even. Without any retort to put herself into a better position, Maka looked down avoiding Blair's questioning eyes.

"Maka-chan!" Blair gasped; it was her turn to be indignant. "So it is true? You only used Soul, only to throw him away when he was done? I would have never thought you to be that type of girl." She let out something of a strangled giggle and a snort.

The meister would have never believed that she could feel even worse. Her head lowered and her eyes fixed on her feet in shame, she remained silent…until she came to realize just who was berating her about her uncharacteristically sexual behaviour like a disappointed mother. Her head snapped up and her eyes narrowed into a hard glare.

"Didn't you encourage us to have sex?" Maka asked, her voice low and quivering slightly. "You even gave Soul advice about it, you told him to…to help me! So why are you being all for serious relationships now? You have no right to scold me. You are always going around naked and attacking Soul with your large…breasts."

She blushed, feeling silly for saying the last part but nevertheless held Blair's gaze steadily and stubbornly. Blair fell silent, only to have her lips curve into an unnerving smirk, which never boded well for the meister. "Does Soul know that?"

"Does he know what?"

"That you don't want a relationship."

"Yes…I mean…I think so…"

Blair raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Really? You don't look so sure. Did you tell him that?"

"I…actually…not really," Maka stammered and cast her gaze down again. No, she really hadn't told Soul anything. It wasn't like she had the time to tell him. Yesterday's actions had happened spontaneously. Never had she considered that Soul and her would ever do something like that. Sure, there always had been fantasies, dreams and maybe the tiniest bit hope and how could she have brought herself to reject him, when he was practically offering himself to her.

But then she remembered what she had told him before they had started as they had been awkwardly sitting on her bed.

'_I actually can't imagine doing this with anyone else. I trust you." _Maka gulped loudly and limply sat down on the chair that was the closest to her, feeling all her strength draining from her muscles as she lay her head against the table. She cringed at the little bit of water against her cheek which had pooled together from the vegetables she had washed earlier with haste.

What if Soul took her totally truthful admission as some sort of confession. In a way it was a confession but nothing that should be something entirely new to him. She trusted him implicitly, he had protected her so often (and much to her dismay) from dangerous and deadly attacks, never afraid to throw himself between an enemy and her body to make sure that she was safe. So wasn't it only logical that she would trust him with her body in every sense? That she would let him touch her intimately even if she didn't harbour such a feeling as love for him?

She just hoped that he hadn't mistook her words as a declaration of love. She didn't know how she would weasel out of that without making everything worse. And she hoped dearly that he didn't hold deeper feelings for her. No, this couldn't be! Not only would she feel like a complete ass that she had totally disregarded his feelings and had agreed to be touched like that in a selfish wish to be satisfied but she also would have no idea how to deal with a partner who was in love with her.

Oh, please no.

She banged her head against the table in frustration.

"Are you alright, Maka-chan?" Blair asked.

"Yes…urgh…No, I'm not." she admitted quietly.

"Um…can I help you somehow?"

"No."

"Why not? Why are you so down now?" Blair asked, tapping her chin with a long finger thoughtfully, her lips pursed and her eyes never leaving Maka's prone and defeated-looking form. "Are you afraid that Soul might like you more than just a partner and a desirable piece of flesh?"

This time Maka did not splutter, although she was very inclined to do so and scold the perverted cat for referring to her as a piece of flesh…even if she was supposed to be desirable. Even though Blair had completely pin-pointed what was bothering her, she didn't want to talk to her right now. She had an awful sense of déjà vu as she sat there slumped and not knowing what to do. It was like the fated day (yesterday) when Soul had irrationally attempted to seduce her and she had even more irrationally decided to go with it and had ended up having - despite her botched up first kiss (about which she was still a bit peeved) and the initial awkwardness and accidental hair-pulling - an utterly hot and amazingly mind-blowing experience.

Maka absolutely hated it when she didn't know what to do. She always had a plan, always approached problems and confrontations with at least some semblance of rational thinking. Her initial plan was to continue like usual, not to entirely disregard last night's happenings but to proceed like nothing had changed between her and Soul. To act as if it wasn't completely out of the ordinary that he had…he had fingered her and performed oral sex on her.

She was never going to be able to forget the image of his head between her legs…hell, she didn't want to forget it in the first place! Yes, she had always prided herself for being a prude, for being the total opposite of her cheating and philandering father but there was no way she could ever try to convince herself that she didn't like what had transpired. Thinking back about it surely was embarrassing and…that it had occurred at all was surreal but there was no denying that she had enjoyed it. She had moaned his name, she had urged him to do more, and she had allowed him to lick her!

It had been her first orgasm ever. Sure, she had touched herself before but she had never done it for too long, afraid that someone might hear her, afraid that she might be caught in the act whilst she was supposed to be innocently sleeping or reading like the nerd and bookworm she was. The apartment walls weren't the thickest and she had thus - instead of risking the wrath of a disgruntled partner who was awoken by her high-pitched moaning or the embarrassment of being barged in on - only touched herself lightly, lead by her annoying lust and so very alluring mental images of her partner during advanced stages of undress and her increasing and damnable curiosity as she was exploring her own body.

Although she had enjoyed what he had done to her, there was still something, which bothered her. Maka frowned. In her inner ranting of self-pity and misery, she had almost forgotten about his indelicate exit right after she had come down from her high. Why had he left? Was it because the thought of being touched by her was so repulsive, he had preferred to leave instantly with such stupid parting words? Was he that disgusted by her? But if so, why should he have touched her in the first place? No, that wasn't it. She was sure that he had had an erection back then. Even though her experience with sex was limited, there was no mistaking the bulge in his pants. Had he been afraid of her reaction to see him completely exposed? Had this something to do with his size? Could it be that he felt inadequate because he didn't think his penis was big enough? Or was it simply because he didn't want anyone so inexperienced to touch him there and screw up stupidly?

Maybe it was a good thing that he had left after all. She surely wouldn't have known what to do, even though she had been determined to strip his clothes off and have her way with him. She had even ran out of her room to confront him about his behaviour right after he had gone to his room, only to find his door locked and Soul unresponsive to her stubborn banging. The only noise that she had heard coming out of his room, had been a soft jazzy tune, loud enough to block out her calls and anything he might have said. After much undeserved abuse to the door, she had trudged back to her room, defeated and aghast, as she had come to realize two very disturbing things.

The first: She had run out of her room panty-less.

The second (the even more disturbing realization, which really said something): She had really been intent on continuing and finishing what they had started, even if he had made it clear that he didn't want to. She hadn't cared about his consent.

Yeah, that had pretty much killed, buried, nullified and burned (and let the ashes scatter into all directions with the imaginary wind) any resolve she had had.

"Oh, good morning, Scythe Boy!" Blair exclaimed happily, startling Maka out of her twisted thoughts. She looked up with a blush and sure enough, there at the doorframe was standing Soul…

…in nothing but his boxers.

Her first impulse wasn't to greet him or to seek cover under the table to avoid the following (most certainly embarrassing) confrontation but to curse at him and demand that he put at least a shirt on. Maka wondered if he did that on purpose. Did he enjoy seeing her squirm and blush and desperately attempt to have her treacherous gaze fixed on his face. It was quite difficult. She clutched the edges of the chair she was sitting on in a fierce and white-knuckled hold. She wasn't sure and maybe her ears weren't the best right now but she might have heard a slight crack.

Soul muttered a grumpy greeting in return but did not look at the cat, instead his smouldering and droopy eyes found her quickly. Maka drew in a sharp breath when their eyes met. "You…let me sleep in," he said and scratched the back of his head, ruffling his messy white hair even more.

She released the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding noisily through her nose, her grip on the poor and defenceless chair growing needlessly tighter.

He stretched his arms over his head, let out a yawn, and …oh, damn this! She really could not help it as her eyes followed his arms, watching hungrily the flexing of his muscles there. She bit her lip and fought off the urge to walk over to him, drag him to her room and finish what they had started last night. She truly was so short of doing it, if it weren't for her hands that practically glued her to her seat, she would have been out of that chair with her mind inwardly cheering her to her door.

How could he look so…so casual? Didn't last night affect him in the least? Or did he just want to see her like this, so flustered and horny. Did he love teasing her so much?

She was clearly aware that Soul was intently staring at her, awaiting something for her to say in return. Ah yes, she had decided to let him sleep longer today. Usually, she would force him out of bed at half past nine, at the latest. She urged her lips to move and her stupid, tongue-tied, mouth to cooperate.

"Yeah," she breathed, her green eyes focused with a lot of struggle on his groggy gaze. "I just got up myself…and wanted to…wanted to make breakfast before waking you up."

It was an awfully transparent lie but if he noticed (of course, he noticed) he didn't comment on it, only raised his eyebrows sceptically. "Oh. Thanks."

"You're welcome," she mumbled and unable to look at him anymore, or at least unable to keep her eyes focused on his face (they came dangerously close to trailing further down to his toned torso), she averted her eyes to the ground.

The silence was unbearable and she desperately wanted to say something, if only so that she wouldn't have to endure it longer. It was even more awkward than yesterday. She gritted her teeth and inhaled harshly, annoyed and angry and frustrated. It was as if they were back to zero, as if she had never apologized to him, had never poured her heart and her fears out to him, hadn't shed fearful tears and as if he had never assured her devotedly that he was not going anywhere and would never leave her.

But what could she say? Why had he woken up so soon? Why hadn't he slept on? Why hadn't she been given more time to think, to collect her thoughts and decide on the things she wanted to say and how she wanted to say them? She sighed heavily and shortly glanced up, only to see him embroiled in his own inner musings and debates. What should she do?

"What do you think of my sexy new dress, Scythe Boy?"

She had completely forgotten about Blair and for the first time in history, Maka felt something akin to gratefulness that the cat was here. It was not the time to be picky when she was intent on breaking this uncomfortable quietness. Blair stood up and twirled around giddily, the (short) skirt of her purple dress swishing and twisting with her movements. Maka had to admit that it was a pretty dress and more modest than her usual attire.

"It's alright," Soul said, unsure how to react.

Blair giggled and walked over to him, hips and butt swaying from side to side, and came to a stop right in front of him, too close for his and Maka's liking. He backed away - as her nose touched his - with a scowl.

"Oh, come on. Just say that you think I look irresistible in it."

Soul snorted and looked away. Maka found the gratefulness towards the cat slowly but surely vanishing as Blair continued her stubborn advances on her partner.

"Just say it," she insisted, taking a few steps forward and effectively trapped him against the kitchen wall. She pressed her very ample bosom against Soul's very _bare_ chest.

Maka glared at the back of her head and releasing the chair, clenched her trembling fists tightly. Stupid, annoying cat. And stupid Soul! Why didn't he just push her away when he didn't like what she was doing?

"Go away, Blair," Soul said with a frown and pushed awkwardly against her shoulder to escape.

Blair pouted exaggeratedly, her eyes narrowing but did as she was told. "Fine. I know, you need to eat something, right?" She asked, her lips curving into a sultry smile. "You can't appreciate Blair, when you're hungry. Maka-chan has made something really yummy!" She grabbed him by his left arm and dragged him towards the table and thus towards Maka.

"Hey, don't push me. I know where to sit!"

"You're too slow, Soul. Eat up fast, so we can have fun soon." She winked at him flirtatiously and shoved him into a chair. "Hurry up! Blair will go for a walk," she said and before she was out of the door, she turned around once more to look at them both, "Be ready when I'm back."

And with that, she was gone, leaving Soul and Maka alone.

"Since when does Blair take walks?" Soul asked, putting his elbow onto the table to prop his chin on his palm.

"Since today…apparently," Maka answered quietly, refusing to look at him.

Wait! Did Blair actually do that on purpose? She never takes walks. She went to work, she went shopping, she went on dates but she never took walks. At least not that Maka knew of. Had this just been her attempt to break the awkwardness and then leave them alone to…to…who knows what?

"Are you…uh hungry?" Maka asked, standing up and shoving her chair loudly back, making it almost fall down if it weren't for her quick reflexes. Positioning the chair securely in front of the table, she finally looked at Soul. This time she could control herself better, she did not stare at him dazedly and lustfully like a wanton. She forced herself to smile and was very relieved to have him smile one of his wry smiles back.

"Sure. I'm starving."

Breakfast passed slowly (and silently), although they ate quickly (and silently), and from time to time did look at each other without blushing (silently). Neither managed to start a conversation. Well, she did ask him a few questions and they did make a bit of small talk but all in all breakfast was awkward (and silent).

"So…uh… how are you today?" Soul queried, in his third attempt to strike up a conversation.

"I'm fine," she replied meekly, her fingers fiddling with her blue pyjama pants, as she glanced up from under her messy bangs.

"That's cool."

"Yeah."

Oh God, could this get any worse? She desperately wanted to talk to him. Not necessarily about last night (she still didn't know how to approach that subject), merely talking about the weather would be enough if it didn't end with one-worded sentences and hushed voices. But as soon as she wanted to say more… she remembered every little detail from what had occurred between them.

He didn't make it any better when he innocently licked his fingers clean after spilling a bit of honey on them. She watched him, transfixed on the languid movements of his tongue as he took the creamy, pale, sweet nectar from his tanned long digits wetly. She swallowed hard as he took a finger into his mouth, sucking it clean. Her breath hitched when he withdrew his finger with a loud (it wasn't that loud but it was so damn quiet in the kitchen) popping noise.

She remembered. She had seen him lick his fingers like that last night, she had seen him through her half-lidded eyes as he had unabashedly stared her down, imprinting every little detail into his mind. Only when he had licked his fingers then, had he tasted and savoured her…her arousal. She gulped as Soul sucked on the inside of his forefinger…the finger that had been inside of her.

She clamped her legs tightly together and shook her head, fruitlessly trying to shove such thoughts away. How could she get aroused by just looking at him? He wasn't even doing anything sexual. He was just…oh, he did it again! She nearly moaned with restrained lust and excitement, when he nibbled on a particularly stubborn and sticky spot on his fingers, his teeth scraping against his skin lightly, only for his tongue to dart out again.

Her blood roared in her ears as she recalled the sensation of his lips and teeth against her neck, how he had reduced her instantly into a quivering and gasping mess with such simple things. She unconsciously touched her neck and the mark he had left behind.

Maka found herself feeling very thankful for the oddest of things: she was thankful that she had bought the pot of honey on a whim, delighted that the supermarket had honey in its assortment, and grateful that bees and apiarists existed in general because without them she wouldn't have gotten such a wonderful view of Soul: his delicious mouth, tongue and teeth performing in tandem with his beautiful pianist fingers.

"Thanks for breakfast."

"Huh?"

She blinked, pulled out of her inappropriate thoughts. Soul eyed her worriedly and leaned forward on the small table to get a good look at her. "Are you alright?"

She nearly backed away because of his proximity and what it made her want to do to him but managed to stay seated on the spot.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?" she replied frowning slightly, she had been asked this a lot of times in a span of just a few days.

"You looked pretty out of it. What were you thinking about?"

She averted her eyes and tried to hide her blush. There was no way she was going to tell him! It would be even more embarrassing than admitting that she wanted to have sex with him, as she had yesterday. Well, she hadn't spelled it out like that but…

Why did he look so unaffected by it all? She had seen a different side of him last night. She had seen him blushing and stammering, clumsy and having many 'uncool' moments.

It seemed like today he was back to being his usual self. Maka didn't know why it bothered her that much. Maybe she was a bit jealous that he could control his emotions so well and look so calm, whereas hers threatened to overtake her mind and body completely and make her do unreasonable and sudden things. Maybe she was angry with him for being _not_ affected by it all…but why did she want him to be affected? Wasn't it a good thing that they could move on quickly without dwelling uselessly on what had happened? But…but…

"Maka? What's wrong?" he asked, poking her forehead lightly, causing her to look up at him. "What's bothering you?"

Why was he asking her this? Couldn't he tell? What possibly _could_ be bothering her?

"Nothing…I…no…that's uh…," she trailed off. She wanted to brush him off, more than a bit annoyed right now but that would mean making the same mistake again, which had driven them apart in the first place. Hadn't a huge part of her problems stemmed from her unwillingness to talk to him and let him confront her? She didn't want to repeat the mistake. More importantly, she didn't want to come any closer to a situation where she might have to fear for the possible loss of her partner.

Her eyebrows knitted and she clenched her fists, feeling a gust of determination that urged her to go through with it. She took a deep breath and glanced into his eyes. For a split second, she was lost in his deep pools of red but caught herself quickly and began, "It's about last night."

"Oh." This time he looked away, for which Maka felt relief, glad that he wasn't the 'epitome of cool' and that he certainly was not able to shrug off the awkwardness and embarrassment from last night.

"I don't think that…well, I don't think that we can simply leave it at that…I mean without talking about it," she said, keeping her voice steady, although she didn't feel anything like it. Her heart was hammering viciously in her chest, as if she needed anything more to remind her how awkward and embarrassing this moment was. Her hands were moist with sweat, she rubbed them against the fabric of her pants to dry them a little and to do _something_ with them.

After a short pause, Soul said, "You're right." He heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. Maka had the instant urge to run her fingers through his soft hair.

"So…"

"So?"

She didn't know what to say, her mouth opening and closing with words that didn't want to come out. And when the words finally tumbled out of her mouth, it wasn't so bad actually.

It began with: "I just want you to know…that I don't regret it."

To which came Soul's simple response: "Me neither."

"That's good."

"Yeah."

They both became silent again, avoiding any eye contact. But there were still a few things that needed to be made clear.

And thus, it continued with: "I don't want anything to change between us."

After another short pause, which made her hold her breath with anticipation, came Soul's simple response: "Me neither."

"Oh. That's…good."

"Yeah."

Maka blinked confusedly; this was easier than expected…but not less awkward. But hey, they both agreed that there was nothing to regret and that things between them should remain unchanged. That meant that they could just keep going like always, and that Soul did not perceive her as anything else than his partner and friend, with whom he happened to have a sexual encounter. So she didn't have to worry anymore! She sighed and leaned over the table to put her hand on Soul's wrist, smiling giddily up at him to which Soul only managed a dubious stare down at her.

"I'm so glad. I was afraid that I might have screwed up everything between us again," she said cheerfully, not deterred by his expression.

The right corner of his mouth lifted, his lips forming a faint grin. "Don't worry about that anymore."

She was so relieved, the heavy weight of uncertainty and dread lifted from her very being with so few and simple words. She let out a shaky and elated breath, clutching Soul's wrist in a firmer grasp, feeling the warmth of his strong body. She hesitatingly released his hand after a while, shooting him a bright smile, which made him grin back.

She let out an awkward laugh, not really knowing what to do next. Although they had talked it out, the unbearable silence stretched on. Her eyes narrowed suddenly in a mixture of disdain and curiosity as she remembered something, something that hadn't plagued her so much but after having everything else settled, suddenly became another question she wanted to get an answer to. Past the point of feeling embarrassed anymore, it felt a lot easier to ask.

"Why did you leave?"

Thin, white eyebrows arched quizzically and before he had the chance to pose a question himself, she elaborated quickly, "I mean after…after you were…uh…done," her voice, rising with each word in pitch, became a timid squeak at the end. There was no way she could actually verbalize what he had done to her explicitly.

"Uh…" Soul shifted in his seat, looking terribly uneasy and ready to leave at the slightest provocation. But this time she wouldn't let him, she wanted an answer. Why had he left so suddenly after what he had done. She had wanted to touch him too, especially after he had made her reach an orgasm. She had wanted him to feel pleasured and satisfied too, wanted to tear down his pants and boxers with a swift motion of her hand to reveal what was beneath.

"Soul, tell me, please," she said, looking at him with large pleading eyes.

He hissed something incoherent under his breath, his glance averted, fixed on some random point in the kitchen. "I…I didn't want to lose control." He turned his head, so that he was looking at her again. "I didn't know if I could stop if I let you continue. And I wasn't sure if you would have stopped…and I didn't want us to…end up having sex without any protection and all."

He blushed a pretty shade of red, his eyes leaving hers again and finding great interest in the pot of honey in front of him. Pushing the faint thought of how she seemed to get some sort of twisted pleasure when she saw him blushing aside (there really was something about an otherwise aloof and indifferent Soul being all bashful), she smiled adoringly up at him.

He really was the best.

"Why are you smiling? Do you think that's funny?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest, looking like a spoiled kid, who hadn't gotten what he wanted for once.

"No. That's not it."

"Whatever."

Maka sighed and stood up. "I should clear the table and wash the dishes."

"I'll help you." He stood up as well and immediately began to pile the plates up.

She blinked, puzzled at his domestic helpfulness. Soul was usually very lazy when it came to doing anything associated with helping to clean up and chores in general. Shaking her confusion off she proceeded to help him. It was a nice thing for him to do, so why dwell on it?

They didn't speak as they cleaned up but since they were both occupied with something, it was a lot more bearable. Maka unconsciously began to hum a random tune, a habit she had just recently picked. She was entirely unaware of the questioning eyes of her partner, at first looking at her with curiosity but the more he had his eyes on her form, his curious look changed into a stare, one that roamed her body up and down.

As they both reached out for the bread basket, their hands touched accidentally. Her breath hitched and she snapped her hand back immediately, her eyes involuntarily seeking out his again. His eyes…oh, damn his eyes but she couldn't look away (even if she knew that they were going to end up in another awkward situation). His intense gleaming gaze made her freeze on the spot, although she felt like her skin was surely going to catch fire if she didn't look away in an instant.

She was faintly aware that it was extremely stupid for her to react like this to an accidental touch. Disregarding last night's happenings, it wasn't a completely new experience to touch each other. It was a necessity…at least to hold hands, and never had she found herself giving such…an immature reaction to it. Things were different now but it was stupid nevertheless.

With an angry frown she returned to her task, Soul doing the same quickly. She practically threw the dirty plates into the sink not giving a care in the world that they might break.

It really was stupid; stupid like in those bad romance novels she possessed and had read. They were quite a few in number, all of them presents from friends who didn't know what else to give her for her birthday and with her notorious reputation of a bookworm who also liked the use of her books as effective weapons, bought her romance novels. Now, Maka did not like to see a book go to waste and had thus read all of them, grimacing and cringing a lot and sometimes even smiling or laughing as some of them had been unintentionally funny with their clichéd and melodramatic writing style.

This was like in those books! The common occurrence that whenever the love interests touched each other, it would invariably be described as a jolt of electricity passing through one's body was, well…stupid, as jolts of electricity could kill someone.

Why should attraction be made more obvious by comparing it to something deadly?

_Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid._

She viciously scrubbed the plates clean, causing the detergent to bubble and staining her up to her elbows. Her eyes were narrowed into a deadly glare, focused onto the defenceless dishes as if they were the cause of all of this with intent to see them break and scatter like the assholes they were.

"Maka?" Soul called out.

"What is it?" she grumbled moodily, not stopping her bubble attacks coupled with her glower of doom.

"I think they're clean already."

To avoid having another interrogation she thrust the slippery pale ceramic into his direction. He took it from her hand his fingers brushing against her knuckles…and causing her to have the same reaction! She tensed up, and her lips parted to release a startled breath.

No! If this was going to be her reaction whenever they touched, how were they supposed to fight together? She couldn't always freeze and lose vital seconds because of _a jolt of electricity_ coursing through her veins. She had irrefutably believed that after she would get her wish and be touched by Soul, the craving for his hands on her body and the desire for his hot mouth on her skin would vanish. With a shaky breath she realized, much to her belated horror, that it had only made everything worse.

"Are you done with the others?" Soul's deep velvety voice pulled her out of her reverie. She could only nod robotically and give him another cleanly scrubbed plate.

This was bad. Really bad! This was calamitous, baleful, disastrous and portentous. And she was back at zero, having no idea what to do, no plan to approach this whole mess and being madly lustful for Soul. She was so screwed.

"Do you have any plans for today?" Soul asked, drying his hands by rubbing them against his boxers.

"What?" she squeaked and quickly cleared her throat not to arouse his suspicion. He was far too perceptive for his own good. "I mean.. I don't have any plans. Why do you ask?" she asked with a voice that was closer to its normal pitch.

"I thought about going out…or something. I don't want to be locked inside when the sun is shining like that," he answered pointing with a thumb at the window.

She furrowed her brows and tried to ignore how he was standing far too close to her, being far too shirtless and frustratingly irresistible. It might actually be a good idea to get out. She hadn't been outside since their vacation had begun, and maybe she would be distracted by whatever they would be doing and stop undressing him with her eyes (which wasn't a great feat considering what he was wearing at that moment.)

"Sure," she answered, forcing a smile. "Do you have any place in mind?"

"Don't know. You know what…," he grinned and raised his arms _yet again _over his head to stretch them and to torture and make her suffer, "You decide. I'll take a shower in the meanwhile."

"Okay."

As Maka bent down to pick up the remains of a tattered napkin to throw into the trash- her tank top loose around her chest- she began to ask if the ice cream parlour was alright and only then noticed Soul had made no motion to leave for his shower. In fact, he was frozen to the spot, his eyes wide and his lips parted slightly.

It took her a little time to realize that his blazing eyes were focused on her chest. On her chest! The chest that was too small and the chest that she was currently almost exposing if she didn't straighten her stance. At first she felt angry (_"How dare the pervert ogle me so shamelessly?"_), which faded quickly as she came to realize that she had ogled him in much the same way and _often_. At that point she felt slightly happy and triumphant (_"So he likes staring at my small breasts!"_), then finally she settled on mischievous (_"Maybe I should pull my top lower and see what he does then."_).

Alas, her long lost and seemingly regained propriety did not agree. Plus, she realized how such a low tactic as flashing her breasts at Soul was something very Blair-like. With that horrifying realization, she quickly straightened up and adjusted her top with a small blush on her face. Soul snapped out of his blatant staring and managed, after shaking his head feverishly, to look her in the eyes.

"Um…I'll…go…go to the bathroom," he stammered uneasily and turned swiftly on his heel, leaving her alone in the kitchen to wonder about what had actually happened.

So did that mean…that Soul was lusting after her as she was lusting after him? Did he want to touch her again? Maka didn't want to get her hopes high but…never had she caught him staring at her breasts. And she was certain that there was no misunderstanding! She had meticulously followed his gaze and there was no mistaking it. His abashed reaction afterwards was enough of a confirmation for her.

She clenched and unclenched her fists, feeling a familiar exciting heat wash over her that made her heart beat faster and her brain turn to mush. She jerkily walked to her room, the endless possibilities of what might happen if she initiated some kind of suggestive contact between them made her head spin and her lips quirk into a carelessly lewd smile.

Her smile fell when she saw clothes neatly laid on her bed. Her eyes narrowed. Clothes that were not hers. On top of the black skirt was a note written on pink and perfumed paper. She scrunched up her nose, partly because of the strong smell and partly because the handwriting was definitely Blair's (as if the perfume wasn't enough of an indication) and read:

_Dear Maka-chan,_

_I'm sure that you and Soul have talked everything out. I bought these super-cute clothes and sexy lingerie for you. You don't need to thank me! Just have __**fun**__ with him._

_I know you love me._

_XOXO ~ Blair_

_P.S.: If you want to do the horizontal mambo, please don't forget to use protection! You can get condoms at every pharmacy, supermarket, convenience store and gas station… and you should also get lube while you're at it. Latex condoms are the most resistant to damage but be careful because they can be weakened by oil-based lubricants. So if you buy latex condoms, make sure to buy water-based lube. Also, make sure it's the right size, the basic-size condom fits most men, so you shouldn't go for the Magnum XL size…even if Soul insists on it. His penis probably isn't that big._

"Great parting words Blair," she muttered under her breath. It was fascinating that the first part and the postscript were written by the same person.. if it weren't for the identical handwriting in both sections (with big and round letters, and little hearts instead of dots above the letter i) and the very last sentence, she wouldn't have believed it to be from the same person. She ripped the paper in tiny little shreds and threw the remains into the small trash bin under her desk.

When did she do this? And how did she know that they would go out? This cat was smarter than she let on.

Sighing heavily, Maka glanced at the clothes Blair had gotten her. It was a black miniskirt and a green halter-top. She held the top to her chest and looked at the mirror. She had to admit that it was cute, not too revealing and not a too flashy colour. The skirt was fine too, a simple black colour and looked about the length of any of the skirts she typically wore and-

Wait! Wasn't sexy lingerie mentioned too?

And sure enough, there on top of her fluffy pillow was a lingerie set. A lingerie set of a blazing red colour, not unlike Soul's eyes. She examined the skimpy garments with wide eyes, running a finger over the lacy smooth texture of one cup and tracing its frilly rim. She hooked her forefingers into the elastic of the panties and stretched it.

Did Blair really expect her to wear these?

Maka had never worn such underwear; didn't possess underwear of the sexy kind. Most of them were pastel coloured or had goofy and cartoony prints on them. In retrospect, she was very glad that she hadn't worn some with the panda bear heads yesterday. It would have probably ruined the mood the instant Soul set his eyes on them only to burst out laughing.

She eyed the panties in her hands indecisively. To wear them or not to wear them. She would have never thought herself to be embroiled in an inner battle about such a thing.

Soul would like these, right? Would she look sexy enough in them? Wouldn't it look weird on her with her small bust? She sighed lightly. Judging from his staring moments before, chest size didn't seem to matter to him, regardless of what he had always claimed when they had been younger and she had been flatter.

Deciding not to waste her thoughts on breasts anymore, she simply undressed, tossing and throwing her clothes onto her bed carelessly. She quickly slipped the panties on, then the bra and stood in front of her mirror, watching herself critically, wanting to spot every imperfection.

She hummed and turned around, gazing at her rear from over her shoulder with a frown. She looked nice enough, she guessed. At least her butt wasn't completely flat. Her stomach was flat and smooth, her waist tiny and slightly curved. Her skin was a bit tanned, which she noticed now, catching a glimpse of faint tan lines just a little above the hem of the panties. She wasn't exactly pale but still pale when compared to Soul. Her legs were strong and slim and her knees a bit knobbly. There was a scar on the side of her left thigh, which was barely noticeable now as it had gotten paler and paler over the years, almost matching the colour of her skin. And her chest, even though small, looked perfect.

She looked fine. She was in great shape. There was nothing to worry about.

She smiled at her reflection and nodded, content and satisfied with her appearance. She pulled the green top over her head, messing her hair up, struggling a bit with the tie of the strap behind her neck. Pulling on the skirt was a lot easier. She twisted and twirled in front of the mirror, liking how she looked right now. She had to thank Blair later.

Maybe she should also let her hair down.

As she was combing through her blond strands, she came to realize what a stupid thing she was planning. Her smile fell and her eyes narrowed into a frown, quickly coming down from her elated and happy high. She was dressing up for Soul, she wore sexy underwear for Soul and she intended to…to seduce him and only because she had caught him staring at her chest and had thus concluded that he might want to do the things they had done last night again, maybe even be touched by her.

But he had told her he didn't regret it, said that he didn't want to have things change between them either. Why should he or she for that matter change that opinion when they did it for a second time (and maybe for a third, fourth, fifth…)? She bit her lip uncertainly, putting the brush onto her table.

If he really did want it, she would definitely make sure that she made him feel good. She clenched her fists and nodded determinedly to herself. The only question was…how? She had no idea how to please a man and Blair wasn't here to give her tips either. She growled, annoyed that the cat was absent when she was needed for once.

Maybe she should use the internet. Yes, of course!

Soul had insisted a few months back how everyone had an internet connection and how they - without one - were totally backwards and old-fashioned. He had even tried to convince her by explaining that it would come in very handy for research and the like. She had argued against it by telling him that it was going to be needlessly expensive and that they could do research by going to the library. She argued that he only wanted it because of the numerous pornographic sites on the net. His only counter-argument had been that it wasn't as expensive as she made it out to be…but he had ignored any other points she had made.

Somehow, he had managed to convince her in the end.

The computer was nevertheless in her room. It started up quickly enough and she found the symbol for the browser fast. She shortly glanced at the clock above the door. Soul had been showering for roughly ten minutes. That meant she had approximately half an hour left (Soul always spent more time in the shower than she did though he always denied it) to learn something about the things she had absolutely no knowledge about beyond the biological and hormonal processes in the human body.

"So where to begin…" Her fingers moved slowly as she typed a question into the window of the search engine. Whole sentences were probably going to be more useful than typing just a single word.

How to fellate-

Wait! What? What was she doing? She didn't need to know that! At least not now! Especially not until she was completely sure Soul wanted it. She was such a pervert.

She looked around the room, feeling a bit paranoid and afraid that Soul might pop up behind her all of the sudden and see what she was using the internet for. She stood up and locked her door and pulled the curtains closed. Who knew who might be able to see her and her scandalous _research subject_. Besides, she should start with something less sexual.

How to stimulate a penis manually?

No. Less sexual! This could hardly be considered less sexual. _Bad Maka, bad!_

How to be seductive?

No.

How to French kiss?

Maybe…but no.

How to kiss?

Maybe. It was better.

How to flirt?

That's probably a good starting point. With another glance at the clock, she prepared herself for mastery over all these topics.

She had 25 minutes left.


	5. Of wonderful days

**Chapter Five  
**

**Of wonderful days, of annoying admirers and a proper kiss that somehow does not remain proper**

Today was going to be a wonderful day.

It was pleasantly warm outside, not humid as it was in their apartment. The sun was shining brightly, basking the whole park in its warm light; the birds were chirping their cheerful bird-y songs, the trees and grass in the park were a lush green, the sky was a beautiful blue with a few feathery white clouds scattered around. People were having a lot of fun: some were just lying lazily on the soft grass, watching the clouds or sleeping or chatting with each other or simply goofing around. Cute little kids were playing some games, their sweaty faces flushed and adorned by big smiles. A trio of chicks was playing volleyball and giggling hysterically whenever one of them missed the ball, which was pretty often. Some bald dude threw a stick and cheered for his dog to fetch it and bring it back, which, however, only seemed to be interested in dozing off. Numerous couples were strolling happily hand-in-hand through the park, some were even enjoying cold and refreshing drinks over a small picnic. And Soul was staring at Maka's tits again.

Yes, today was going to be a _wonderful_ day.

Soul would have liked to think that his dear meister wore that forest green halter top of hers only to smite him and to rub it ruthlessly into his face that he had so moronically been ogling her tits, although they had just a few moments ago agreed that nothing between them was going to change. A small part of him still clung adamantly to the possibility that maybe she had not noticed him doing something so inappropriate. Maybe it really was her way of getting back at him for teasing and making fun of her breasts for so many years. He really might have believed this notion if she didn't look so damn innocent all the time. Even though he kept reprimanding himself, he always found his gaze drifting to areas of her body he usually wouldn't have given a thought to before.

Why? Why did she wear that top? It wasn't even that revealing, nothing he wasn't already used to seeing her in. But the tiniest bit of cleavage…he doubted that it could be considered a cleavage, the cloth of her top covered her chest completely but were it cut just little bit deeper, he would have been able to see the tiniest bit of cleavage. It was so infuriating. The female anatomy wasn't anything new to him. He had seen more, so _much_ more (courtesy of Blair). And yet he could barely walk straight ahead without tripping over his feet or running risk of walking right into a streetlamp or person because of the tiny cleavage, which wasn't even a cleavage, turning him into a drooling, leering and horny mess.

Other than that, their walk through the park passed pretty much uneventfully. They talked a bit but were mostly focused on their surroundings. At least Maka was. Soul was more focused on his meister and her deliciously long legs and how well that black skirt of hers hugged her hips wonderfully…and tightly.

As soon as they stepped into the ice cream parlour with the childish and cheesy name, Soul regretted immediately agreeing with Maka to come here. Saying that it was overcrowded here was an understatement. He scowled and muttered a few annoyed curses under his breath. There was no way they would be able to find somewhere to sit and if they did…he hated places with too many people around.

"Soul, look!" Maka took him by his left arm and dragged him somewhere. He was more busy with avoiding, dodging and slaloming little kids with large ice-cream cones; stressed looking waiters and waitresses, who were rushing from one customer to another to take their orders and avoiding the random person who did not have the presence of mind to realize that standing abruptly still in the middle of a busy and bustling room was not the best of ideas. He was a bit surprised and more annoyed that Maka had in fact found them two free seats at a table for two.

Soul scrunched up his nose a bit upon seeing the dirty surface of the table, melted bits of ice cream and too many crumbs in front of him.

"I almost thought we had to leave," Maka said, leaning lazily against the backrest of the padded and quite comfortable chair.

Soul merely gave a noncommittal grunt and propped his cheek against his hand. He closed his eyes and tried to block out the noisiness around him and instead attempted to enjoy the pleasant coldness of the room, courtesy of the air conditioner. He sighed. It was much better than in their humid and hot apartment. The screeching of chair legs being pushed around made him open his eyes to look at Maka, who indiscreetly had positioned her chair much closer to his.

At her bright and innocent smile, he could only raise his eyebrows dubiously.

"It's quite loud here," she said, running her hand through her hair and brushing a few rebellious strands from her neck back and thus effectively exposing a bit of a purplish red mark there.

He gulped and looked away with a frown, opting to stare at and observe the people around him instead of risking the possibility of catching sight of a reminder of yesterday's happenings.

"Do you already know what you want to order?" she asked, tapping him lightly on his shoulder. He froze and shook his head rigidly.

"You could at least look at me," she huffed and this time grabbed his wrist to turn him around, coming eye to eye with him.

He was annoyed at his lack of self-control. No, he did not jump her upon setting his eyes on her but he did ogle her yet again. Her eyes as captivating and pretty as ever didn't make it easy for him, neither the fact that her skirt was now situated higher up her thighs, exposing more of her wonderful legs, nor did it help his horniness any that she was still holding his wrist and didn't seem to have the intention of letting go soon.

"Soul?"

What had happened with her voice? Why was it so low?

"W-what do you want?"

She bit her lip and he found himself frowning at the action. Some perverted part of him reminded him that it might have looked very enticing and seductive but to him it made her look very nervous right now. And what the hell was it with that voice? He shook his head slightly. No, she wasn't any different. He was just imagining things because he was paying a lot more attention to her, to every movement of hers, to every smile, yawn and frown. He was reading too much into everything.

Nothing had changed. Absolutely nothing.

He cautiously pried her stubborn fingers from his wrist and took the menu into a shaky grip. He half-heartedly skimmed over it, not giving a care about what to order specifically. As long as it was cold, he did not mind. Maka's sudden silence right now was mildly disturbing as a silent Maka equaled a Maka who was deep in thought and a Maka deep in thought tended to think too much about stuff he did not like. Her eyes gleamed with that kind of determination, which she always held in the midst of a heated battle against a particularly strong and powerful enemy.

"Hello!" A bubbly and cheerful voice greeted them. He looked up to see a waitress with a large grin, holding a notepad and pencil in her hands. "Have you already decided on your order?"

He picked the first thing that he could think of. It was something cold, so it would suffice but Maka just grabbed the menu rudely out of his hands and frantically tried to pick something after having been pulled out of her thoughts so suddenly. The waitress was patient and polite and her smile did not falter even once, although Maka changed her pick the moment the waitress had written it down. It was sort of freaky.

"I'll be right back."

The waitress vanished quickly after Maka had finally decided on what to order, something that sounded vaguely like a very big, expensive, special, colourful and girly sundae with a lot whipped cream and exotic fruits and caramel. He grimaced.

With the intention of not touching his meister even accidentally and in order not to give his attention to all the enticing things she could do with just a slight movement or glance of hers, he once again busied himself with his loud surroundings. He noticed much to his disgust that the table closest to them was surrounded with five girls around his age (all of them sporting a different hair colour - maybe they were a girl-band or something), who were quite obviously and unashamedly throwing suggestive and flirty looks his way.

He caught a few snippets of their conversation and didn't like what he was hearing at all. He seriously didn't need more fangirls fawning over him. He had to give it to them that their taste was impeccable and he couldn't exactly deny that he was quite irresistible to the female sex and not mention his superb-

He stopped this particular conceited train of thoughts as he came to the realization that he was starting to sound a lot like Black*Star, his close friend who was fortunately far away in Japan. As much as he was fun to hang around with, there was no time he wasn't positively obnoxious and unbearable.

The waitress - Sarah, as she was very happy to inform them (him) - brought them their orders, smiling and giggling and telling them to enjoy their ice cream. He had been right about Maka's choice. It was a huge and expensive-looking and colourfully fruity with a lot of whipped cream, minus the caramel. His looked quite pathetic in contrast. They dug in with gusto and for a few minutes Soul was able to shut every annoyance around and close to him out and manage to enjoy the deliciously cold chocolate and vanilla ice cream (he was still a fan of the classics).

He finished it far too quickly much to his dismay. He entertained the idea to order another one but decided against it after seeing no waiter or waitress. His gaze was drawn to Maka and her half-finished sundae. That sure was fast. He had never noticed that she was such a big eater.

"Glutton."

"Excuse me?" Maka asked looking up at him, the long spoon raised, stopping just before it was about to be dug into the green-tinted ice cream (maybe it was kiwi?). "Did you just call me a glutton?"

He snorted. "Yeah, I did. In the time I finished my two scoops you finished half of that." He motioned with his hand towards the colourful menace of fruits and whipped cream in front of her.

"It is hot," she huffed indignantly, flushing slightly.

He grinned teasingly. "Yes it is. But you're still a glutton."

"I am not. This is the first time in a long time that I've ordered this much."

"Maybe you should challenge Black*Star to an eating-contest," he said, ignoring her remark. "I would even bet on you winning." He chuckled at her puffed cheeks and annoyed scowl and didn't stop his taunts. Because of a desperate desire for normalcy, this half-hearted banter was more than welcome. "Or maybe it's better you don't, it'll just make you fat," at her deepening glare, he added, "Hey, maybe you would benefit from a weight gain and grow a bit in the boob-department."

He only laughed when she smacked his arm lightly. He readied himself for a verbal tirade and hour-long bitching and was stunned when it never came. With his laughter dying down into amused sniggers, Maka regarded him with a disturbing calmness that silenced him completely. She scoffed and turned away from him.

That was…unusual. He was confused. Did Maka have a split personality? She normally resorted to violence whenever he said something nasty.

He parted his lips to ask her or maybe to apologize but he snapped his mouth immediately shut again. His eyes widened and became fixated on a part of her body where it surely shouldn't ever be fixated on.

Had she just in the seconds he hadn't looked at her pulled her top lower? She had! He was sure of that because he had been paying attention to how good that top looked on her and he was certain that he hadn't seen the tiny cleavage she was showing him now. He couldn't control himself; he gaped down at her chest like the sexually depraved teenager he was.

He was running aimlessly around in uncharted and dangerous territory again.

It was a light cough that made him pull his gaze away from her breasts and look into her eyes. He spluttered and gasped, the beginnings of an apology already forming on his lips. But words failed him when Maka smirked slyly, her eyes glinting dangerously, and gave the spoon a slow and languid lick. His eyes were instantly drawn to her mouth, more specifically to her pink wet tongue. He inhaled harshly and bit the inside of his cheek. Anything that distracted him from his meister right now was appreciated.

He couldn't calm down his racing heart and his hasty breathing because he was too flabbergasted. His brain overloaded with dirty and naughty thoughts and the deep question of, were he to jump her right now and here on the table, how long would it take someone to call the police and have him arrested for exhibitionism and indecent behaviour.

He cursed his sexual hormones. This wasn't cool at all. She had caught him staring at her tits! He wanted to dig himself a deep hole and perish. Shame coloured his cheeks a light red. Should he apologize? He definitely should because ogling your meister was not what a weapon should do, no matter how close they had come to having sex.

He gritted his teeth. He wanted to slap himself. He really needed to snap out of it. His world of late seemed to be defined by a constant arousal and a general haziness that made it impossible for him to think reasonably. It was irritating that Maka did nothing to put a stop to all of this. She was even encouraging it. She was supposed to be the smart one, damn it! She wasn't supposed to be a…sultry temptress.

"You want some?"

Convinced that she was not being accidentally seductive and definitely convinced that they both had lost their minds, he looked at her through his unruly white bangs warily. "Want what?"

She smiled and scooped a bit of pink ice cream onto the spoon and held it in front of his mouth.

"No thanks," he muttered and turned his head away.

Maka frowned but then shrugged, "Fine. There's more for me then."

He watched with the slightest quirk to his lips, the word 'glutton' just dying to be uttered and he might have even done so if his pervy gaze hadn't been drawn to her mouth at that moment. Soul would very likely describe the next minutes/hours as the best and most torturous in his life.

The spoon her tongue seemed to be very intimately involved with wasn't even vaguely phallic shaped yet his head was flooded with X-rated images and ideas. Had it always looked this suggestive? He closed his eyes for a short moment but reopened them when Maka let out a little satisfied moan. It was cold in here but he was still sweating like a pig. He clenched his fists to restrain himself from…from…doing something hasty. He was so screwed. This woman was driving him insane. He took a shuddering breath, his heart was hammering wildly in his chest and he tapped a foot against the table leg to a rhythm that only made sense to him.

"Are you sure you don't want some?" she asked, holding a small piece of sliced watermelon between her fingers.

"Uh…"

"Open your mouth."

And he stupidly did. She slowly shoved the red fruit between his lips, her slender and wet fingers lingering a bit too long there for his liking. It was tasty but this was somehow unimportant as his lips still tingled because of her touch. She gave him that sultry smile that would have seemed more at home on Blair's face. Next, she took a slice of kiwi, waited a bit after he had swallowed the piece of watermelon down and fed it to him. Her fingers brushed against his lips and rubbed a bit of the sticky fruity juice from the corner of his mouth.

His breath hitched when she licked her fingers clean of it.

The kiwi was too sweet but he gulped it down without grimacing. She made a grab for a piece of pineapple. He had to stop this madness. What were they doing anyway? Acting like a couple! She was feeding him! And she wasn't just feeding him, she was doing weird things with her fingers when they were at his mouth and looking at him like a…like…he found himself lost on finding a noun or adjective that could describe her properly and that he would like at the same time.

Despite his frantic thoughts warning him, he opened his mouth and let her push the pale fruit into his mouth. Hadn't he told her that he didn't want any of her girly sundae anyway? This time she leaned in more closely, her chest pressing against his arm. The new angle gave him an even better view down her cleavage and this coupled with her hot breath against his jaw made it very _hard_…no…difficult to repress his urges. He busied himself with thinking about the unsexiest things he could imagine: Grannies in bikinis, grandpas in lingerie and Black*Star in a thong. He shuddered. Very, very effective…until Maka pushed herself even closer to him, erasing everything unsexy in his dirty mind.

Gah! Useless. Everything was so useless. He didn't know what to do. He wished he could turn invisible.

"Do you like it?" she breathed against his ear with that low voice of hers. He could feel the small hairs on his neck stand and prickle. He nodded tensely, not sure to what her question was referring to. He barely managed to swallow the piece of pineapple down, not even registering the taste of it. Oh but he did register the warmth of her body and the softness of her small breasts.

Nothing had changed. Nope, absolutely nothing.

Maka let out a husky giggle and placed her hand on his thigh, very close…too close to his crotch.

'_Nothing's changed? My ass!'_

He quickly slapped her hand away, the sound of it rang through his ears and he wondered if everyone else heard it too. She gasped and cradled her hand with the other, staring at him with shock written all over her face.

"What was that for?"

And the dam broke.

"Don't play dumb, Maka," he said irately, his eyebrow twitching and his hands shaking at her innocent eyes. "You were trying to grope me in public!"

"I was not-"

"Oh yes, you were! You're acting-"

His first pick was: _like a slut_, but he refrained himself from saying that to her, knowing it could only make matters worse and hurt her feelings on top of that. His second one was: _like Blair_, but he dropped the idea quickly, concluding that it wasn't any better than the first.

With no other options available, he lamely finished with, "-weird. This is not like you at all. You're all over me."

She sighed and shortly glanced away before looking into his eyes with that impenetrable conviction again. "Don't you feel it?"

"Feel what?"

"You…you know what!" She banged her fist against the edge of the table making the glassy bowl with the ice cream and the long spoon clutter with the force. "Can't you feel…feel...the…the-" she lunged forward, gripping his forearm tightly. Despite wanting to appear as serious and determined as possible, she was blushing brightly.

"The what?" he asked, startled and disturbed by her proximity. Did she want to jump him in public? He had had the decency only to entertain the moronic idea but with Maka looking at him with those eyes and biting her lip nervously, he wasn't sure what to expect anymore.

"The sexual tension."

"You're full of shit." He frowned and pushed his chair back to distance himself from her more. If he did not, he really might act on the sexual tension that could be tangible for all he knew. "We agreed that nothing's going to change. Why are you doing this now?"

"Why?" she asked indignantly, crossing her arms with a glare. "Says the one who has been staring at my _non-existent _chest all the time."

"Well, what do you expect when you're practically offering them for me to see?" He did take notice of how her breasts were being pushed together by her crossed arms and how more of her soft flesh was visible at the cut of her top.

"I'm not talking about that. What about the time when we were cleaning up. And you wanted to take your shower but instead of going you ogled my breasts."

Well, shit.

"Still. Your shirt was loose and it's not my-"

"Excuse me," a new and unwelcome voice cut through their banter. They both looked up to see one of the girls from the girl-band-table. Soul cursed her to hell and back but at the same time, he couldn't help but be relieved that he didn't have to struggle for sorry excuses to explain his inadequate behaviour.

He gave an annoyed grunt of acknowledgement and Maka gazed at her questioningly. The girl - Soul noted - was pretty and as far as he could tell, the only one of her little girl band with a remotely normal hair colour. Brown with red bangs. Although she was pretty, he didn't like the way she smiled, so forced and calculating. He sighed preparing himself again for the role of the flirt-victim. With a silent groan, he looked down at his hands, which were absentmindedly drumming a melody onto the wood of the table.

"I'm sorry for intruding so rudely," she began, her voice smooth and confident, "but I just have to ask. And my friends weren't really trying to stop me…so…I know this is very sudden and I would totally understand if you said 'no'. So…can I maybe have your number…or better yet I'll give you mine and you can decide for yourself if you want to call me."

An awkward silence followed (_'Oh, hey there. Long time no see'_). Soul with another heavy sigh decided to break it as soon as possible. "Look, I'm flattered and all that jazz but I'm not interested."

The girl snorted derisively, causing him to look up, startled and irritated at her tone.

"Don't be so full of yourself," she said mockingly, frowning down at him with an air of superiority that pissed him off. "I wasn't talking to you." With that, she averted her eyes from his dumbfounded and gaping form and with a gentle smile looked at Maka.

What?

What was happening now?

Maka stammered and blushed, unable deal with the situation. Not that he had an idea how to deal with it either.

"So what do you say? I'm Claire by the way."

"Umm…Maka. N-nice to meet you?"

"Maka? That's quite an unusual name. But I like it! My name is boring and _normal._"

"Um…yeah but…eh…"

"Oh you're blushing! You are so cute."

Soul cringed at the sudden high-pitched voice and glared at what she was actually saying. And why the fuck was Maka not doing anything to tell that chick off?

Maybe she did swing both ways and was interested in that Claire-girl. Or the surrealism of the situation must have rendered her speechless. It was usually him, who was being hit on. And now it was her being hit on by a girl. Soul remembered vaguely how some of his lewder friends had always assured him that girl on girl is hot.

But the thought of Maka being together with anyone else, regardless of gender and/or sex did not sit well with him. (He easily explained his sudden possessiveness and 'maybe-jealousy' with the excuse that it had to be a pretty normal reaction when you had almost had sex with your partner). He had to do something before that girl tried something funny.

"Hey lady," he said, not trying to feign politeness in the slightest. "Maybe you aren't aware of it but she isn't interested in you."

"Nobody is talking to you," the girl retorted, only glancing at him from the corner of her eyes. "If she isn't interested she can tell me herself. I'm sure she doesn't need a stupid macho and wannabe-protector to do the talking for her."

"Excuse me?"

She ignored him completely and only had eyes for Maka, who seemed to be just beginning to gather her bearings, her eyes clearing and her mouth shutting resolutely. "It would be quite a pity if you rejected me though. You are so pretty and cute and…you have a killer body. I really want to take you home with me."

It took everything not to lash out at that rude and insolent woman. If she had been a guy, he wouldn't have wasted a second on pummeling him to a bloody pulp and dragging Maka out of there. Stupid double standards. His fingers were twitching and he took deep and harsh breaths, trying to calm down. It surprised him that he was angered less by the girl's rude remarks than the girl flirting with his partner. _His_ partner.

"I'm sorry but he's right. I'm not interested in y- in relationships right now," Maka said, glancing uncertainly at him and then back at the girl.

Soul watched with some satisfaction as the confidence left the girl's face. For some reason, it did not make him as happy as it usually would have. Seeing a smug and overconfident person being put to place was always a great show.

"Oh, okay," the girl mumbled, crestfallen and disappointed. "I'm sorry that I bothered you." And with that, she left to join her friends, who regarded her with sympathetic glances and consoling smiles.

Maka stood up and waved at their waitress and then turned to him. "I'm going home."

He sighed and stood up as well.

This day was just wonderful.

* * *

As soon as they entered their small apartment, Soul didn't waste any time to kick his shoes off. After that disaster at the parlour, he wanted to do nothing else but sleep or listen to music. Anything to keep his mind from Maka. Seriously, what had she been thinking? Sexual tension? He let out a slight scoff. Trying to flirt with him? All of this seemed so unlike her and it bothered him. Of course, it would have been too easy to let everything rest with 'nothing was going to change'. It was stupid and naïve of him to believe everything was going to stay the same between them.

He sighed heavily as he discarded his jacket and threw it unceremoniously onto the floor. He stretched his arms over his head and made his way quickly towards his cozy little room, away from Maka. He wanted to erase everything that had happened today. Especially that brazen little fuck who insulted him. Today was supposed to a be a day to relax and enjoy the warm weather and not a day on which he had to constantly wage war against his desires and repress unwanted erections by imagining the most hideous of things.

"Soul?"

He sighed again, more heavily, exasperated and more than a little desperate to put a distance between him and his meister. He crossed his arms over his chest and regarded her with a scowl, adamant to appear annoyed and as disinterested as possible.

"What is it?" he asked.

She stood at a comfortable distance in front of him, twiddling her fingers and blushing lightly. He waited, his patience dwindling and dwindling. He was tired of her shy-mode because she was anything but shy. She had proven as much today with her bold touches and words. He expected an apology, maybe even a bit more bitching about his rudeness or maybe even a book out of nowhere crashing into his fragile skull but he definitely did not expect the words she actually uttered.

"Could you…um…kiss me?"

He uncrossed his arms, letting them limply fall to his sides. "W-what?" He couldn't say more because this woman…this stupid and confusing and insane woman had once again managed to leave him utterly speechless and gaping at her like a moron. She was supposed to be the smart one and now she was being the one spouting bullshit and nonsense.

"I mean…I know that this is quite stupid…but…" she paused and looked up to meet his widened eyes with a determined frown, her little fists clenched in front of her.

"But what?" he finally asked, inhaling deeply through his nose. He screwed his eyes shut and rubbed his temple with a finger, feeling an impending headache coming. This was truly a long and unbearable day.

"I just would like to have a proper kiss."

"Fuck you."

"Soul!" she gasped and he already braced himself bravely for her vicious attack and found himself surprised when it never came. He opened his eyes only to find his meister fuming and red in the face and extremely pissed. "Watch your language," she bit out, her nails digging firmly into the soft flesh of her palms.

"Shut up," he sneered. "You have totally lost your mind woman. I'm going to take a nap. Don't bother me."

Before he could take the first step to make a fast dash for the safe confines of his room, Maka was already in front of him, blocking his path.

"Soul wait. You can't just-"

"Can't what? Can't leave?"

"No, you won't." She put her hands on his shoulders, squeezing them slightly in a warning. He glared down at her, his irritation growing with each passing second and not helped by her close proximity because he could feel her warmth, feel her urgent touch. It wouldn't take much to pull her close and it would take even less to do just what his body ached for, was aching for the whole day.

Instead of acting on these instincts, he only snorted, took a firm hold of her hands and pushed her away. "What are you going to do?" he asked, lacing each word with contempt. "Force me? That would be sexual assault, you know."

Her angry glower fell and the determination in her eyes vanished within an instant. Oh no, not this! He gritted his teeth. He hated it when she wore that expression. That stupid hurt and sad expression. It was better and more effective than his Puppy Dog Eyes. Not only did she manage to look like the most miserable girl on the earth, which gave him not only the urge to comfort her, hug her and apologize again and again but it also made him feel guilty, although he actually had no reason to feel so. She basically made him feel bad about doing the right thing!

"I'm sorry, Soul," she said, looking down, her voice weary and quiet. And then she looked up and continued with a heartbreaking expression, "I know I'm stupid. I just thought it would be alright to ask you…since…since our first kiss was messed up…and I want to have- oh just forget it. I'm sorry."

With that, she turned away hastily.

"Wait!"

He had already wrapped his hand around her wrist before he had realized what he was doing. Maka looked up at him, confused and bewildered at his sudden move. Soul frowned, his grasp on her tightening with his increasing anger. He had always known that he was maybe a tad bit more devoted to his meister than the usual weapon, was more ready to give his life for her without a second thought and he had to grudgingly admit that she had him pretty much twisted around her little finger.

"Soul?"

His hand slipped from her wrist up to her elbow to pull her closer. Her breath hitched and his name escaped her lips as a surprised gasp. He put his other hand on her shoulder; all too aware of her soft warm skin beneath his fingers. He wanted to caress her shoulder, see if he could make her shiver and pant again but resisted doing so. One kiss, he told himself, only one kiss and then everything would be over.

"Close your eyes," he said. He was so short of crushing their lips together before he remembered how badly that had ended the first time he had tried it and how it was the reason why they were in this position.

"What? I-I thought you didn't-"

"Just close your damn eyes if you want your goddamn kiss!"

She scowled up at him and held his light glare for a short stubborn moment before she followed his command. He let out a deep breath as he watched her relaxed features and admired her face. He wished he could leave it at that. He was more than nervous and afraid right now because he still didn't know how to kiss properly. He had to be careful. He raised the hand that was resting on her elbow, tensely up to her face. She flinched slightly when he touched her forehead with the tips of his fingers. He traced a gentle path down to her left eyebrow, over her cheekbone and eventually cupped her cheek and tilted her head a bit up.

So this was it. With his heart pounding in his chest like a bomb about to detonate, he leaned slowly down, squeezing her shoulder unconsciously. She was breathing as fast as he was, her puffs of breath hitting his lips as they were only a few centimeters apart. He gulped and then finally met her mouth.

He wished he had some sort of instinct that could take over now. He wished he could just close his eyes like it was supposed to be and not go cross-eyed as it was happening now. After growing tired of all that thinking and worrying, he eventually did shut his eyes and did what somehow felt right to him.

Her lips were soft and unmoving against his; he hoped it was because she was as nervous as he was and not because he failed again. Soul had to admit that it felt kind of nice, even though he didn't know how to breathe right without breaking the kiss off too soon. With his mouth clearly occupied and with his lungs needing oxygen very soon and realizing that holding your breath during kissing was not the right way to proceed, he inhaled through his nose. He angled his head a bit so that his nose was not brushing against hers.

He was not sure what to do now, didn't know if pulling away now was enough to satisfy Maka or if she would pigheadedly insist on another kiss. He decided to play safe and thus pressed his lips more urgently against hers. Maka responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. His hands were shaking and he tried to cover that by caressing her cheek with one and stroking the smooth skin of her shoulder with the other.

He didn't know how long he had been kissing Maka but as soon as she pressed against him and he could feel every curve of her lithe body against him, he pulled away more than a bit hasty and completely out of breath. He was still holding her and his chest was heaving. He proudly noticed how Maka seemed even more out of breath than he was but his pride was swiftly pushed aside when the situation came back into focus.

"So…um…there was your kiss," he said and released her from his awkward hold, taking a few steps back.

Why didn't she just go away? Why did she instead have to stand there staring at him like a moron? She wanted a kiss that wasn't messed up and she got it. Couldn't she disappear and leave him be and let him fret over what to say and do now? He wasn't a smooth talker as much as he would like to deny it.

He frowned and turned around, needing more space between their bodies in order not to repeat what they had done just now. His lips were still tingling, they felt hot and he craved to kiss her again. But reason had to finally prevail and he couldn't-

"Soul, wait!"

She yanked him around by his forearm, her grip firm. He growled lightly and glared, he opened his mouth to tell her politely to fuck off but in the end, the words were stuck in his throat. Maka slipped her hands on to his shoulders and pulled herself against him, glancing into his fierce eyes with her heavy lidded gaze. The expression in them made his breath stagger and before his thoughts and reason caught up with him, it was already too late. Maka leaned up and pressed her lips against his.

He stiffened and his arms hung ungainly in the air, not sure if to touch her or to push her away, although he knew very well what was the right thing to do. She momentarily pulled back, catching her breath. "Soul," she whispered, her voice low and sultry and-

She kissed him again but this time she didn't leave it at just a brush of the lips. She parted her lips slightly, deepening the kiss. He didn't know when he had started to respond, didn't know why the fuck he had wrapped his arms around her waist, didn't know why he let her do this and he absolutely had no idea how they had reached the couch with her sitting on his lap with her legs on either side of his hips.

They parted, lungs burning and hearts racing.

What the hell? He was bemused and flabbergasted and stunned and bewildered and… what the fuck was that? And what was she doing? She leaned in close, the tip of her nose grazing his.

"That felt nice," she said, stroking his lips with her fingers.

He swallowed heavily, trying to catch his breath and could only manage to stare at her with wide disbelieving eyes. And then she bit her lip, causing his gaze to drift to her mouth. It wasn't that nibbling she did whenever she was nervous…no this time it was different. She looked different…the same way as she was trying to be flirty and seductive in the ice cream parlour. And now she, in fact, did look quite irresistible, she looked coy, saucy…and nothing like the Maka, he knew.

He almost yelped when she pressed against him, rubbing her cheek against his slowly and then brushed with her lips against the spot just below his eye. Her lips traced a soft and gentle path down his heated skin and when she reached the corner of his mouth, he sucked in a deep breath. He couldn't bring himself to push her away, couldn't bring himself to make her stop because he couldn't think straight and although a quiet reasonable voice whispered to him that this was _very wrong, _it was impossible not to enjoy what she was doing.

This was so unlike yesterday. He had been inept and had no idea what to do but Maka…she knew. It seemed as if she had been replaced by a completely different person because Maka 'formerly pure and innocent and chaste' Albarn could hardly know all of this. How did she know? He was confused because last night she had admitted that she was as inexperienced as he was and yet she didn't seem to be so inexperienced. Had she secretly practiced? With another person? In those few hours, they hadn't seen each other? Or was she just a natural talent?

"Relax," she whispered and pulled away to look into his eyes.

"What?"

"You have to relax to enjoy this," she said, running her hand through his hair.

His voice failed him and he could only sit there rigidly, unwilling to push her off and curious about what she was going to do next. No matter how wrong what they were doing might be he couldn't deny that it felt right, it felt good and although he was bewildered and nervous, he was excited to feel more of her, eager to see more of this side of her.

"Part your lips a bit when I kiss you, okay?" Her eyes were dark and calculating and there was a…a spark of…_something_ that made him shiver.

"Huh?"

"Let's pick things up a notch. Moisten your lips."

Without questioning the motive behind her words, he blindly followed her command and let his tongue dart out to wet his lips.

She looked at him again with that intensity in her eyes that left his thoughts distorted and blurry. She swooped down and captured his lips in another kiss. He automatically closed his eyes this time and tentatively placed his hands on her hips. Maka's chest was pressed against his and although the kiss had just began and wasn't much more than a mere peck, he already felt breathless and wondered if he was going to suffocate. He remembered to breathe through his nose and vaguely recalled what Maka wanted to do now, so when she parted her lips slightly, he was prepared. A bit.

He did the same and tried to avoid moving his lips haphazardly. He wanted to do better this time and decided that it would be the best for Maka to take the lead. And take the lead, she did.

She nibbled lightly on his bottom lip and pressed even closer against him. He hadn't thought this possible but didn't complain, keeping his eyes closed and letting his hands wander. He ran them up her sides, earning him pleasurable shivers from his meister. She moved against him in a slow tempo, temptingly rubbing her breasts against his chest and letting out tiny mewls and gasps.

He could only faintly yell at himself inwardly a weak warning. It was supposed to be only a kiss! Not a full-blown make-out session. He hadn't wanted to lose control again, wanted to lock himself into his room to think and listen to music and maybe jerk off. It wasn't supposed to turn out like this and she certainly wasn't supposed to make such arousing noises again, wasn't supposed to look so alluring and wasn't supposed to be so sexy. She wasn't supposed to make him lose his mind and she wasn't sup-

She pulled away with a deep breath and did that coy lip-biting again. His mind was blank; he knew there was something important he had been thinking about, something he shouldn't ignore or forget but everything was wiped away and his thoughts revolved only around Maka.

She smiled at him and ran her hands up and down his chest. His own hands hadn't stopped stroking the soft skin of her back. The lower part of her top was pulled up, exposing a bit of her stomach and her navel. He gulped noisily when her hand reached his neck and she lowered her face to press a tender kiss there. It made his temperature spike and his toes curl.

"Let's kiss with tongue," she said, her lips so close to his ear that he could feel her hot breath, making him delirious and his breathing even heavier. "Part your mouth just a bit more this time and let the tip of your tongue brush against mine. Okay?"

Although her words set the alarm bells in his head off, they were quickly silenced as she kissed him again. This time she didn't waste much time with initiating a slow and gentle kiss. It was passionate and scorching from the get-go. Her tongue brushed against his lips and he unhesitatingly obeyed and parted his lips to let his tongue join hers in a clumsy dance.

It had been a small mystery to him why exchanging saliva would ever be considered something pleasurable but right now as they inelegantly sucked faces, he couldn't say that it was unpleasant. They were messy and their saliva didn't remain entirely in their mouths and maybe it would have felt better if she hadn't bitten his tongue but with more practice they would certainly get rid of the more embarrassing and awkward side effects of French kissing.

This time it was him, who broke the kiss because he really needed to breathe. Needed more than the little breaths he got through his nose. He was a bit anxious that he might have turned blue. As soon as he took the satisfying gulp of breath, Maka wasted no time to join their lips again. And things…just got more heated. She began to grind against his lap, their hands got more adventurous, their lips more greedy, their bodies more heated, more aroused. Leaving his mouth, she scattered tiny kisses all over his face and eventually gave her full attention to his neck, this time using her tongue and teeth as well. She sucked particularly hard on a spot that made him release a hiss through clenched teeth. She halted only for a moment before she continued and Soul didn't think that he had ever been so grateful for something in his entire life.

Her lips on his skin were hot, leaving him burning and aching for more. He couldn't stop touching her and it was more an accident than his intention to untie her top. The straps fell limply over her chest but the green fabric did not slide off, it remained tightly secure around her breasts. He wanted to pull the damn thing off and see what was underneath but despite the raging desire to do so, he hesitated and sought her eyes. He didn't want to do anything that might make her uncomfortable.

"Maka? Can I-"

He didn't have the time to finish his question. Maka simply did the work herself and he found himself again gasping for breath when she revealed more of her skin…and her interesting (and hot) choice of underwear.

"Where…did you get these?" he asked, not having the decency to look into her eyes, his gaze was transfixed on her breasts that were still covered by her deep red bra.

He did not see that Maka fought the urge to cover herself from his unabashed stare. "A present from Blair," she whispered and put a hand under his chin to make him look into her face again.

"Of course," he snorted and grinned, feeling something akin to gratefulness towards the usually annoying cat.

He lowered his head once more to drink in the amazing sight that was in front of him. He was pulled out of his pervy stupor when Maka took both of his hands and placed them flatly on each breast. He gasped out her name and let his hands remain there, unmoving and frozen. She growled and putting her hands on top of his, gave her breasts a squeeze.

There was no stopping them now.

She roughly pulled his head back by his hair and joined their lips, shoving her tongue into his mouth before she diverted her attention to his neck again. He wondrously squeezed and kneaded her chest, marveling at the softness. They were small but they fit perfectly into his hands. He wanted to get rid of her bra to get a full view of them but was afraid that it would only make her feel uncomfortable.

He experimentally traced his hands down her breast, stroking her ribs and ventured lower to feel the taught muscles of her abdomen. He felt bad for ever making fun of her body. He continued his path, running his hands towards her hip and then further to her rear, fondling and squeezing and affirming Blair's theory that Maka's butt was indeed firm. He definitely felt bad about making fun of her amazing body.

He felt elated and was amazed at what she was allowing him to do. Couldn't believe how she was rubbing against him and was wetly kissing down his neck to nip at his shoulder. He let out a pleased groan and gave her rear another squeeze, enjoying the way it would make her grind against his crotch more. Her skirt was pretty much useless in covering her, having been dragged up to her hips by her frantic movements. He licked his lips upon seeing the same red of her bra. When he reached the clasp of her bra, he halted momentarily, trying to gauge her reaction. She didn't do anything to stop him but was instead doing awesome things with her tongue.

He clumsily fumbled with the clasp, awkwardly attempting to figure out how this strange mechanism worked and why the hell it wouldn't budge.

This was so embarrassing.

He really considered slicing it in half with his scythe. He hissed and cussed, tired with the garment. As much as he liked it, he wanted to see Maka without it. He was sure she would look even better without it so inconveniently covering her. With the last vestiges of his self-control slipping away, he slid the straps down her shoulders and pushed the rest of it down to her ribs.

There was an awkward silence and Maka stopped her ministrations completely to stare uncertainly down at him. Her arms were quivering and her fingers were digging firmly into his shoulder blades.

Soul was very happy. His hard-on was proof enough.

She squirmed a bit and shifted on his lap. She let out a squeak when she finally felt his excitement poking her thigh through the fabric of his jeans. There was another silence, their loud breaths serving as great background music, widening eyes of realization and bright blushes heating up their bodies. She glanced down, making him feel even more self-conscious.

Maybe they should stop now. He knew how easily this could get out of hand and thus he sighed, ready to tell her t-

Maka grinded against his erection. He gasped and could only clutch her hips when she set a slow and torturous pace, her crotch brushing against his, reducing him into an aroused mess and wiping any pesky warnings off.

If she did this, then he could…maybe…

He tentatively touched a breast, flicking his finger over her nipple. She promptly quickened the pace of her hips, her sweet voice invading his ears making him delirious with want and desire.

"S-Soul…mmmh… -" his hands were growing bolder, fondling and squeezing and groping her. He grinned and lapped at a nipple, her back arching against his face and her fingers pulling at his hair vigorously. "Wait!"

She pushed herself away; his confidence plummeted and his self-consciousness grew, making him uneasy and his hands sweaty. He gulped and stared at her with a mix of puzzlement and apprehension. He was about to apologize, fearing that he had overstepped the blurred boundaries of this ill-defined mess that was their partnership.

"It's your turn now" she said, sliding oddly around his lap, her hands fumbling with his shirt.

"What?" He let out a breathy gasp. She curtly yanked his shirt up with an unladylike grunt. He raised his arms over his head, wincing as it felt like his limbs were filled with lead. She discarded his shirt quickly and immediately gave her full attention to his bare chest.

His skin was burning; her hands were not shy of exploring everything, touching his scar first, his sides and his hard nipples. She raked her short nails over them, making him flinch and squirm. It made him want to grab her, throw her onto the couch and have his desperate way with her.

"It's your turn now."

He tensed up at her voice, feeling her searing breath against a collarbone. She worked her way lower, her fingers gently tickling his sides, her mouth enclosing over his nipple. He sucked in a harsh breath and ran his fingers through her hair appreciatively. Her hot tongue on his sensitive skin drew the most embarrassing of noises out of him but he couldn't find it in himself to care. Her name was the only thing he could utter, the sound coming from the back of his throat.

It was the small things that gave her away, the things he hadn't noticed in his aroused stupor but as he closed his eyes and let himself truly feel her meticulous and tentative hands all over him, he could feel her shiver in his arms, could feel her fingers quaking as she curiously and greedily touched him everywhere she could, almost successfully hiding her nervousness.

His mind screeched to a halt when she proceeded to unbutton his trousers. He flinched when she undid the zipper and his hand was on hers quickly.

"Maka, wait!" his voice was raspy and breathless, resembling the times whenever he had to do something that required a lot of strenuous activity from his body.

Her eyes were wide, her hair a tousled mess, her top hang awkwardly around her waist, her skirt bunched up at her hips, her red panties gloriously exposed and her bra shoved uncomfortably down to her stomach.

He had never seen something so sexy in his life.

Screw big tits, she was perfect with her small chest. He could feel her frantic pulse under his jittery fingers on her wrist and his persistent erection just below their hands didn't really help matters, especially not when his brain was very helpfully supplying him with very alluring images of what Maka could do if he just released his grip on her.

It wasn't necessary as she pulled her hand away herself. He let out a small breath…but sucked in a deeper one when she unclasped her bra and threw it unceremoniously onto the carpet. She leaned down and kissed him, lips moving aggressively against his submissive ones, their naked chests pressing together, making his blood boil. Her mouth came to rest against his ear, her heated words made him gasp and shiver with anticipation.

"I want to make you feel good, Soul."

* * *

A/N: Hell, yeah! Maka shows Soul who's boss. Go Maka. Sorry for the late update but I hope the bit of SoMa action makes up for it. My thanks go to to my beta-reader and to everyone who is still reading this story and giving me feedback. WTF? I got over 60 reviews for just four chapters? You guys are really awesome.


	6. Of nothing but smut

**Chapter Six**

**Of nothing but smut, a bit of awkwardness and maybe a little heart-to-heart**

Maka always strived for perfection. She would feel less than accomplished if she merely passed a test. If she was going to pass a test, she was going to do it remarkably with a perfect score and would never tolerate when someone bested her. If Soul and her were send on a mission, she would make sure to finish the mission without any casualties and if it didn't compromise them, she would make sure to end it as quickly as possible. She would never bear to leave a mission unfinished, only for it to be handed over to another pair.

She wanted to excel in everything.

And sex was not going to be an exception.

Maka felt possessed, maybe she was. Would she dare to act like that if she weren't? If she were her usual self, she would not writhe in her partner's lap and let herself be groped by him and touch him in return, would she? However, at this point, seeing Soul's lips part to release a wordless moan, she couldn't care less. She needed him; she needed to touch him all over, needed to hear him moan for her, her name. It was addictive and her desire for him scared her a bit but she didn't have the time to dwell on that, not when she still had the task to please Soul.

Clutching his shoulders firmly, she made him lie on the couch after a lot of uncomfortable twisting, winding and yelping on his part and cursing on her part. The couch was too damn small! She barely managed to fit both of her legs on either side of his body. His legs were squeezed together…something she doubted was very comfortable and her right calve was squashed between Soul's knee and the backrest, whilst her other leg was dangling awkwardly over the edge of their small couch.

Frowning heavily, she tried her best to ignore her uncomfortable position and concentrate on Soul. With a puff of breath, she put her hands against the armrest of the couch, on which Soul's head was very conveniently positioned, and braced herself over his trembling body. His expectant and apprehensive gaze made her a bit nervous but she pushed the useless emotion away. She couldn't let herself be distracted. She had to stay focused, she had to make him feel good and she would absolutely not allow any failure.

She leaned down, her gaze fixed intently on his; she halted momentarily to feel his hasty breaths tickling her lips before she pressed her lips against his again. Kissing Soul was strange, not unpleasant but strange nevertheless. She liked the feel of his soft lips, loved how he followed every command of her own and enjoyed it immensely whenever he was forced to make a sound because she touched him a certain way. But their kisses were clumsy and they were still slobbering too much, the overabundance of saliva around their mouths was threatening to kill the mood but Maka would not allow that.

It annoyed her. Maybe she really should have paid more attention to the articles that dealt with kissing instead of the…the ones which concerned themselves with things of a more intimate nature; namely hand-jobs, blowjobs…and other stuff. She cursed the pervert in her.

She pulled back with a gasp, staring at him hazily and not minding at all how he seemed to be fixated on groping her butt. She liked his touch. She absentmindedly wiped the spit just beneath her mouth away, trying not to grimace. She immediately began to shower his neck with kisses and licks, her lips were noisy and she was maybe a tad bit too messy when licking and nibbling just under his chin. Her teeth dug into the skin where his neck met his shoulder, drawing sharp hisses out of his mouth. He called out her name and it made her imagination run wild with ideas of what she was about to do to him and the things she wanted to do with him but didn't dare to yet. She felt unbearably hot, sweat drenched her forehead and although she was nearly naked, she still had the urge to strip completely off the remaining layers of cloth that made her feel so hot and clammy. The heat between her legs was driving her crazy and it took all of her self-control not to fuck him or be fucked by him - she wasn't going to be choosy how it happened - without a care in the world.

Soul's hands left her rear and ventured higher up her body, stroking her back and grasping her waist, he pushed her up to sit up on his hips. His hardened shaft was behind her, begging for attention. She didn't want to know how ridiculous she looked right now and the small nagging fear that Soul wanted to reject her advances froze her on the spot. She didn't know- didn't have the capacity of mind - how to read his eyes now, that were clouded over, darkened. His lips were parted and his hands were tensely clutching her soft skin, leaving red marks behind.

"Maka -"

She had thought everything that had happened until now had turned her into a lustful nympho that had lost all reason and was only driven by her desire for this one man, who was lying subserviently underneath her. However, she was completely captivated by the way he said her name, that seductively deep rumbling growl coming from the back of his throat, seizing her very being. She wouldn't have wasted any time ripping off his jeans and boxers to show him exactly what he was doing to her, if he hadn't still had that iron-like grip on her body. Her fingers were twitching, grazing his forearms, feeling the strain of his hard muscles there. She was going to completely lose it if he continued doing this.

"I…Maka - I need…please -"

She drew in a deep shuddering breath and urged his hands to release her waist from their firm hold. She pinned his wrists against the armrest on either side of his head, giving them a slight squeeze. She took another deep breath, partly to cling to the last vestiges of her self-control and partly to abate her increasing nervousness with the realization of what she was about to do becoming clearer and clearer in her hazy mind.

"I'll give you what you need," she whispered against his ear, not trusting her voice, fearing it might come out as an undignified and jittery squeak. But who was she not to follow his plea. He was begging her! Soul never begged. This was a far cry from the usual Mr. Cool-guy persona he always tried to project as his official personality.

She felt him shiver beneath her, he gasped out her name, his one leg accidentally pushing her left leg completely over the edge of the couch. Scowling slightly and silently cursing the smallness of couch, she managed to place her knee onto the couch again, albeit barely. She swooped down and continued where she had left off.

A languid lick against the dip over his collarbones was accompanied by her hands caressing his upper arms, relishing in his flexing muscles and the quivering of his limbs and his breathy moans. The fact that she was making him feel this way filled her with a certain smug pride.

Her lips reached his nipple, her mouth enclosing over it swiftly. She lightly pushed her tongue against it before she began to suck on it, slowly and cautiously. Soul's nails dug into her shoulder blades, making her hiss and push her chest against him. She retaliated by softly biting his nipple and trailing a wet path of kisses down his torso, particularly enjoying teasing his abs and navel with her curious tongue. She became bolder and faster and travelled lower, closer to the waistband of his partially exposed boxers.

She heaved herself up onto her knees, throwing her head back, her hair moving in a messy arc out of her face behind her neck. Her hands found his undone pants. Hooking her fingers into the belt-loops of his jeans, she proceeded to pull them down with a grunt. She was eager and she was impatient. She wanted to see him, wanted to shower him with her attentive touch and wanted to make him feel good and pleased. She cursed under her breath as she pulled roughly at the stubborn garment that refused to move down his hips.

"Move a bit," she muttered, eying Soul exasperatedly. He writhed and twisted, lifting his hips from the couch to help her get his pants off. He was shuddering and the muscles in his arm, which he used to raise himself from the couch, were taut and tense. Despite their best attempts, they were both too nervous, too jittery and her hands too shaky to make any progress in the art of Discarding Pants. And this stupid couch, so stupidly small, was more than a hindrance. At least, that's where Maka liked to put most of the blame in. The narrow couch. She didn't think of making him stand up to make it easier, didn't think of making him do the deed himself.

"Too fucking small," she cussed and released his pants, wiping her sweaty palms against the crumpled fabric of her top and skirt at her hips, annoyed and angry that everything she had accomplished thus far was in vain, as they, both failed in the task of getting his pants off.

Soul stilled immediately, all of his quivering and shuddering stopped. She was about to ask him if something was wrong when he roughly pushed her away, making her hit her head at the opposite armrest and almost fall down the couch. Her anger was overshadowed by her panic and hurt of his indelicate rejection and the shock that made her unable to move from her awkward spot.

"Well, sorry!" Soul said, thoroughly pissed and moody.

She let out a high-pitched squeak when he rolled down and almost took her down as well. He caught himself on his unsteady feet. He picked up his discarded shirt from the floor and placed it in front of his crotch, ineffectively hiding his erection from her.

"Soul…what?"

"This was a bad idea anyway…but seriously, Maka? I am so very sorry that my dick doesn't live up to your standards, whatever your standards may be!"

He was definitely angry and it took her a moment to realize what she had actually done to make him suddenly feel this way and how it had anything to do with his penis. She momentarily wondered if it had something more to do with his self-consciousness and if he feared that she wouldn't possibly like when he was completely exposed to her.

She blinked, recalling how she had cursed about how 'too fucking small' their couch was…when her hands were busy with stripping him down to his underwear and-

Oh!

"Soul, you idiot." She quickly stood up, her cramped legs almost causing her to plummet onto her butt. She fidgeted a bit, very aware how she was very naked under his incensed gaze. "I meant the couch, moron. The couch is too small, not your…you know." She glanced down and bit her lip, wondrously and embarrassedly staring at his covered groin.

"Oh."

They stood there at a loss of what to do now that the mood was thoroughly killed. This wasn't fair! She had been doing so good and now a few thoughtless words of annoyance were going to destroy all of what _she_, the nerdy bookworm, whose sex appeal was always held in questionable thought, had accomplished? This was unacceptable. She refused to let things end this way.

"So what now?" Soul asked, not looking into her eyes.

Maka looked up, renewed determination flaring in her eyes, and closed the distance between their bodies in a few strides. She practically threw herself at him, latching onto his shoulders fiercely before she pulled him down into a bruising kiss, a kiss that unmistakably told him that they were definitely not done and that he hadn't seen or felt anything yet. Soul was taken aback by her ferocity but still tried to respond to the kiss, grasping her hips tightly and letting his useless shirt fall down again. Maka eagerly pushed her tongue against his and slowly but impatiently pressed against his chest, making him move blunderingly back.

They staggered through the door, only parting when they needed air and when one of them or both almost fell or crashed against the obstacles in the form of furniture, walls and clumsy feet and legs. They teetered into the first room they could reach, which happened to be Soul's room. She pushed him inside and locked the door behind her in a fit of reasonability. She leaned against the door, shuddered against it as she regarded Soul standing in front of her with his pants undone, bare-chested and his broad shoulders heaving. She licked her lips, allowing herself another few seconds to enjoy the sight in front of her before she went back to work.

"Pants off," she ordered, not leaving her place at the door.

Soul stared at her, dumbfounded and rigid, as if she had spoken in Korean. His gaze was wide and he almost looked distressed? She narrowed her eyes, contemplating to stop everything here but at the same time finding it intolerable after they had come this far. She had, after all, a favour to repay. He had made her feel so good and she wanted him to experience the same onslaught of pleasure.

And then slowly, his tense arms moved and he finally - finally - slid his pants down, letting them fall down to his ankles and stepping out of them only to kick them away. She followed his example and discarded her skirt and top but left her panties on, not trusting her horniness.

Their gazes met. In a split-second, she was over him, pushing him onto his bed without a care in the world. He grunted and glared half-heartedly, not at all pleased by being manhandled.

She ignored his silent anger and straddled him. He wasn't going to be angry, when she was done with him. In fact, he was going to be very happy and was going to worship the very ground she walked on. She trailed her fingers over his chest, barely able to contain herself and giddy and nervous with anticipation. She wriggled around his crotch, positioning herself above his erection and grinded against it.

She mewled, the difference between doing this when he was wearing pants and when he was merely clad in his boxers was truly marvelous. How would it feel if they were both completely naked? She couldn't wait to try that out.

Soul was panting beneath her, calling out her name and gripping her hips tightly to set a steady pace and rhythm. She clutched his hands and looked into his eyes, overwhelmed by seeing such intense desire reflected in those deep pools of scorching red. She was unbelievably wet and he could doubtlessly feel it. Oh, how she wanted him to touch her again to quench this heat but she couldn't allow it this time, not when he still hadn't gotten his turn, not when he was aching to be touched as well.

His grasp on her hips grew firmer to the point of being almost painful but before she could complain about it, he turned them around, making her lie on his bed whereas he hovered over her, staring her down greedily. Giving her a short kiss, he turned his attention elsewhere.

Her breath hitched when he touched her breasts. She was still feeling self-conscious and fidgety when he was busying himself with doing all kinds of things with her chest. All his taunts had apparently left her a bit traumatized to accept his touch there so readily.

Her eyes fluttered shut and her back arched when he licked her nipple. His tongue was hot and searing and his hand, which was fondling her other breast, was rough but not painful. She barely registered the noises she made, the way she moaned and sighed his name. She gripped his hair and hissed when he playfully bit the underside of her breast, the sensation of his sharp teeth against her sensitive skin making her delirious and almost able to forget about her initial focus to please him. Her mind was momentarily blank when he spread her legs and grinded against her wetness. He whispered something into her ear or maybe he just mumbled something incoherently…whatever he did, there was no way she could actually take any of his words in. She was too distracted by his body, by his bold touch and his mouth and breaths, reducing her into this quivering, flushed and moaning piece of flesh.

It was his daring hand that made her snap out of her daze, exactly when he was about to touch her crotch with his deft fingers. She pushed against his shoulders, unable to form any words that she could pronounce and which he could understand. He stopped and looked down at her questioningly.

"Don't you…like it?"

She squirmed a bit, the warmth of his body almost suffocating her. "No, that's not it," she said, not recognizing her own voice anymore; it was so…so…low and husky and raspy. She pushed herself up to sit in front of him. "But as I said. It's your turn now."

With that, she flatly pressed a palm against his chest just over his beating and hammering heart and made him lie down again. He obliged without a word and watched her every movement silently, fascinated and mesmerized. She settled herself above his hips again and teasingly rubbed his shaft through his boxers. He yelped and threw his head back, his eyes closing for a moment. She breathed in deeply, ignoring her own want and trying to forget all about his touch on her skin for the sake of concentrating solely on him and his wishes.

She leaned down, bracing herself over him with one hand on his shoulder, to kiss him again, wanting to play with his enticing tongue once more. Their lips were still clumsy but more attuned to each other. He barely moved his own tongue, so overwhelmed was he by her touch. Maka didn't mind, it only meant that she was doing her job right.

"It's only fair," she said after releasing him from the kiss, her hand still rubbing his length slowly, her fingers itching to finally get rid of his boxers to touch him properly. "You already did your part. And now I have to return the favour. That's how it's supposed to be."

She tentatively began to slide his boxers down, her heart beating faster and faster with each inch of his skin revealed.

"Maka!"

He grasped her hands, as she was just about to strip him naked. She frowned. Maybe he really thought that his penis was too small, although as far she could tell with his boxers still covering the bulge, it didn't look that way. Of course, she didn't have anything to compare him to either (except for the pictures on the internet as she had been educating herself about the proper way to give a blowjob). Maybe he hadn't shaved himself down there and was afraid his dick sticking out of a nest of white hair would look ridiculous. Or maybe he didn't want to be-

"You shouldn't do this because you feel obligated to," Soul said, not releasing her hands.

"What are you talking about?" she asked irately, trying to get her hands out of his hold.

He sighed and sat up, looking into her eyes. "What I'm trying to say is that you're making this sound like you don't have any other choice, it's as if you have to repay me for what I did yesterday. That is not a good reason to…to do whatever you want to do now."

He looked away with a blush but still had her hands captured in his. Maka's frown vanished as she stared down at their joined hands thoughtfully.

Was she really motivated to do this because she saw it as some sort of obligation to fulfill? No, that wasn't it. She had been fantasizing about touching Soul intimately even before yesterday's happenings. She didn't feel obligated to do this; she wasn't under any pressure to act like this. Her lips quirked into a smile when she looked up at him again. Soul's concern might be unfounded but it was still very sweet.

"Soul, I don't feel obligated to this. I want to do it. I want to give you what you need right now," she said, feeling his grip loosening at her words.

"You mean that? I don't want you to do things you aren't comfortable with," he said earnestly, making her heart swell and her breath hitch at his consideration. For all his pretence of being Mr. Cool-and-Bad-Boy, he was a true gentleman at heart. He made her feel bad for throwing him so off his guard by her demanding advances and dominant nature. She had just gone with the flow, not thinking much about his feelings and the possibility that he might not want all of this. But he would have pushed her off, if he disliked what she was doing, wouldn't he?

"I mean it, Soul. Don't worry. Have I given you the impression that I'm feeling uncomfortable with what I was doing?"

He snorted. "No, actually. You seem to be very eager. How the hell do you know how to do these things anyway? You told me that you'd never done something like this before."

She grinned coyly and raised her free hands to his face, cupping his cheeks and leaning close, their noses touching. "I read about everything." She was exaggerating. She hadn't read about everything…but about a lot of things, enough to know how to please him.

He raised his eyebrows dubiously. "You what?"

"I read about it. Now you're regretting teasing me about me being a bookworm, right?"

"I…really don't know what to say. You read about French kissing and giving head? You! Maka Albarn?"

"Yeah, I did. Why does this surprise you so?"

Hadn't she already disproven, to her mild dismay, that she wasn't a very innocent person?

"I don't know…but you reading about all that stuff instead of scientific non-fiction books is…"

She sighed and pushed him down onto the mattress again. "Enough talking. Let's get back to work."

He threw her a lewd smirk, which - had he done that a few days ago - would have earned him a smack but this time she only returned it. Her hands found the waistband of his boxers again. But before she pulled them down quickly, she glanced at him questioningly, hesitating and remembering how he had always been very considerate and patient with her, whereas she had been anything but so far.

"Is it alright if I do this?" she asked, swallowing her nervousness down. "I mean can I touch you? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable either, so if you don't want to, we can stop."

"Are you kidding me? You think I want you to stop after giving me a massive boner?"

"So, I can touch you?"

"Hell, yes!"

She smiled and finally pulled the last piece of clothing that was covering him down. She threw it carelessly away and took a good look at him. There really wasn't anything Soul should feel self-conscious about. He didn't look small, nor ridiculous.

Her eyes narrowed as she recalled everything she had read on the internet, regarding his erection with stern concentration, meticulously calculating her next move. She should probably start to touch him with her hands before she did anything with her mouth. She had to be careful as a penis was very sensitive but touching him too lightly wouldn't be enough to pleasure him or cause any intense sensations for that matter. Plus, she had to be extra careful with his scrotum.

Seeing Soul completely naked now knocked her a couple of steps down. Was this how he had been feeling yesterday when had been at a loss of what to do?

But Maka knew what to do! She had read about it. But that didn't mean that every man was the same and Soul would actually like the way she touched him. Maybe she would screw up completely and hurt him in the end.

"Stop looking at it like that!" Soul snapped.

Her eyes shot up. "Like what?"

"Like…like you want to cut it off."

"What? I don't want it cut it off. Why would I want to do that?"

"Who knows? It's…it's…"

"Fine, I'll stop looking at it…like that."

She had a strange sense of déjà vu, with their roles only reversed now. She heaved a heavy sigh and decided to let her actions speak. Some of the things she had learned had to be useful in some way, that's at least what she was hoping. She tentatively reached out and touched him with only a fingertip. Her touch was incredibly light but it was enough to make him flinch slightly. She inhaled deeply and trailed her finger up his shaft, marveling at the silken and hard texture of it. She reached his tip, coating her finger with his arousal.

She wrapped her hand wholly around him, holding her breath as she made him slick to move her hand easier. He shuddered and gasped, entirely under her control. She slowly moved her hand up and down, her fingers curled lightly around him, and setting a rather haphazard rhythm.

She watched his face, trying to gauge his reaction, desperate to know if she was doing it right. It was one thing to read and learn everything about sex and foreplay but a whole other story when actually applying such knowledge firsthand. She didn't know how to interpret the soft noises he made. Did he like it? Or should he be a lot louder by now but was too polite to tell her that she completely sucked at this?

She squeezed him tighter, eliciting a yelp from Soul. She froze, her calmness making way for a wave of panic. "Did…did I hurt you?" she squeaked out. She would have released him, if he had not caught her hand again.

"No," he rasped, "You definitely did not hurt me. Continue."

She hesitated a moment, letting his words sink in and a small smile spread on her face. She was doing it right! He was feeling good! She would have jumped in the air if it weren't a very undignified and uncalled for reaction.

Emboldened and more confident with herself, she moved her hand more quickly. Soul groaned and dug his nails into the mattress underneath. She was transfixed by his face, by his squinted eyes and the sweat that rolled down his forehead. She had the urge to lick every bead of it away but restrained herself from moving away; not wanting to interrupt what she was doing with her hand. Swallowing heavily, she moved her other hand, placing her fingertips at the base of his shaft before trailing them down and feeling the rougher and bumpy texture of his balls.

She carefully caressed them, her touch was barely there but she didn't dare to do more in fear of hurting her partner. She wasn't sure if Soul liked this, his expression hadn't changed much and he was still watching her intently. She felt terribly self-conscious and the rhythm she had set up with the movement of her hand that was stroking his erection was becoming more and more haphazard again.

No, this wouldn't do! Maka Albarn was never going to accept a less than stellar performance from herself. Okay, she knew that she could squeeze his shaft a bit firmer; she knew that it wouldn't hurt him as long as she didn't go all out. And…she should just ask him.

Gulping heavily and fighting an onslaught of nervousness and dread off, she did just that. "Tell me what you like. And tell me if I do something wrong."

It took a lot to admit that she basically didn't know what to do. Well, she did know but didn't have the confidence to use all the knowledge right now. Soul's eyes were heavy lidded and dazed and for a short moment, she believed he hadn't listened to her or had chosen to ignore her altogether. And then he shakily sat up, propped up by one hand pressed against the bed. He wrapped his other hand around her own and looked into her eyes. He gave her - what she thought was supposed to be - a reassuring smile but looked more like a lecherous grin.

She pressed her lips together, trying to contain nervous giggles that threatened to completely kill her self-esteem.

"You're doing nothing wrong," he said and squeezed her hand firmly and started to guide her hand up and down his dick, "but you can be a bit more forceful…if you like."

"But how much more forceful?"

He gave her hand another squeeze. "Here. This is alright."

She nodded shakily. "And what about…um…here?" She experimentally cupped his balls, unable to verbalize her question completely. There was no way she could explicitly to tell him everything.

He sucked in a harsh breath and threw his head forward, eyes screwed shut and teeth clenched. She gasped, fearing the worst.

"You're doing great," he said, opening one eye to stare at her panicky face. He grinned wryly and patted her forearm comfortingly. "Just be gentle there."

"O-okay."

This time she didn't ask him how gentle or how firm her touch was allowed to be, her voice and nerves were surely going to fail her if she made another sound.

She took a deep breath. She had to remain calm, couldn't let herself descend into unreasonable hysteria. There was now nothing that could go wrong. She was Maka Albarn, she was the smartest student of their class, she was a quick learner and in those 25 minutes that she had read countless articles with sexual content, she had acquired enough knowledge to please Soul. In addition to that, she had also asked Soul. Absolutely nothing could go wrong now.

Taking another deep and calming breath, she urged her hands to move, to move in a way that made Soul let out soft moans. He was propped on his elbows, his eyes focused on her hands. Despite her nervousness under his curious gaze, she steadily pumped his shaft, experimenting with her fingers, at first having them pressed tightly together and then spreading them farther apart, changing the splay of them. She paid meticulous attention to the sounds he made, wanting to know where he was the most sensitive and liked to be touched the most.

Soul was especially noisy when her fingers brushed against the ridge where the head met his shaft. She bit her lip and watched his face twist in pleasure, his lips parted and her name escaping from them, showing her how much he loved this kind of attention. He was quivering and the muscles in his arms were strained, damp strands of white were plastered to his moist forehead.

His deep growling voice invaded her ears, made her weak and crave to hear more of it. She wondered how she still managed to move her hands, how she could keep going without losing her sanity. There was still her focus to pleasure Soul, to have him reach an orgasm too. As far she could tell, she seemed to be doing a great job. His voice was growing louder and his moans consisted almost entirely of shouts of her name.

Should she do it now?

She was extremely uncertain and his cries of protest when she stopped touching his balls, didn't decrease her jumpiness. His mouth moved, maybe it even formed words but in the end none of them registered and came out as throaty noises and the questioning hiss of her name. Before she decided otherwise, she pushed herself further down the bed, getting into a more comfortable position and leaned over his erection, bracing herself above him with her free hand placed next to his right hipbone.

Her heated breaths hit the sensitive flesh of his erection, making him twitch and gasp.

"M-Maka…you…you…"

She cast a nervous and questioning glance at his face. His distressed expression made her falter and stop everything she was doing and was intending to do right now. "Don't you feel good?" she asked, her voice meek and soft. "Do you want me to stop?"

He released a breath though his nose and closed his eyes for a moment. "Only if you want to stop."

"I…I want to continue of you don't mind."

He nodded, making her tense up slightly. She tore her gaze away from Soul's face and instead looked down.

Okay, there was no way she was going to be able to fit him wholly into her mouth and she was not going to do that deep-throating thing either. She would most probably gag and make a fool of herself. She had to be careful with her teeth and not end up accidentally biting him. She moistened her lips and before she enclosed her mouth over the tip of his shaft, she tentatively licked it.

Soul's response was immediate; he hissed and it was enough to make her continue. She slowly breathed in and out, letting her tongue slide over it again before sealing her lips over his erection. She tried to take it as deep into her mouth as she could without feeling uncomfortable, always aware of keeping her teeth away from his skin. And then she froze a bit lost and feeling incredibly awkward with her hair falling all around her and over her eyes, limiting her view and making her feel warm and itchy.

When she felt Soul's hand move to rest on the top of her head, she felt her heart speed up, her eyes widened, fearing that he was about to push her head down because he was unsatisfied with her timidity. She was so short of stopping everything altogether and make a quick dash for the door to escape the humiliation and mortifying attempts at talking about it. He, however, merely ran his fingers through her hair and collected her unruly strands into a lose fist and held them together at the side of her head.

She didn't know if she was just weird but this small gesture of his wiped all of her worries away as if there never had been any in the first place. The slight weight of his warm hand was comforting and now that her hair was out of the way, she felt a lot more at ease, glad that she could see everything properly without having something potentially crucial blocked. He didn't say anything, didn't urge her to action. His heavy pants soothed her, he stroked her scalp with his fingers and simply waited patiently for her to continue whenever she felt like it.

How stupid of her. She didn't give Soul enough credit. He had made it a lot of times clear that he would never force her into something she felt uncomfortable with. He truly deserved to feel good.

She relaxed her jaw and cautiously began to move her tongue and lips against his throbbing flesh. It really was odd and difficult not to let her teeth come into play. She gingerly sucked on the head of his shaft, drawing the most arousing of moans out of him. She just hoped she could keep going without losing all reason and do something stupid like discarding her panties to have her way with him quickly.

She was certain that if they had condoms, she wouldn't have given a lot of thought about it and would have readily given her virginity to him.

Getting braver and losing herself into the moment and Soul's throaty voice, her mouth busying itself with his dick, sucking and licking, her head bobbing up and down, she cupped his balls again, gently caressing them, making his breaths heavier and faster, his voice calling desperately out her name.

Still, there was a small nagging voice that made her doubt herself. Maybe she should do everything faster? Maybe she was using too much saliva and making everything unnecessarily wetter and messier.

His fingers in her hair tightened and his hips were quivering as if he desperately wanted to thrust into her mouth. His self-control spurred her on even more, intent on making this the best experience in his life and forgetting all about her doubts. Doubting herself would only distract her from the task at hand.

His other hand was still gripping the sheets of his bed, her back was hurting a bit from maintaining the same bent position for so long. Was it already such a long time? She couldn't tell. She didn't care. The only thing that she registered was Soul and the sensation of his pulsing length in her wet mouth.

She gazed up to see his face, curious and eager and excited. She almost regretted doing it. Could someone look funny and sexy at the same time? She quickly averted her gaze, not wanting to risk seeing him make another ridiculous face that threatened to cause her to burst out in untimely laughter.

He threw his head back with a loud cry. "Maka…I…I…ah!"

She didn't give him the chance to finish his ill-formulated sentence and he didn't try to speak again or was unable to speak because he could only moan and grip her hair tighter, his whole body shuddering with the intense sensation she could inflict on him with her mouth. Her tongue swirled over his head and then pressed against the ridge bellow.

She didn't stop, not even when his groans and gasps turned into desperate whimpers. Why should she stop anyway? He didn't give her a sign that told her so.

Maka didn't know why it surprised her so, the pleased noises he made and the encouraging way he petted her hair and the way his shaft began to twitch, should have told her that he was about to climax. She didn't have enough time to properly decide between pulling away and leaving him in her mouth. She remained in place as Soul thrashed and screamed and his muscles contracted and he unloaded himself into her mouth.

And…

Shit!

She hadn't expected it to be this much and so warm. And she certainly hadn't expected it to be…to be…this gross!

She felt like she had bleach in her mouth…and urgh!

She never would have expected to struggle this much but it took her a lot - _a lot _- not to spit everything back out. She grimaced and cringed until she swallowed everything down. The unpleasant aftertaste still lingered on her tongue and she swiftly wiped her mouth with both of her hands, her lips twisting and turning in disgust, and hoping to erase the taste completely.

In her inner battle of…something (she was bit shaky on finding the right and good-sounding term that described the decision between swallowing ejaculate or not), she nearly forgot about Soul. Her dear partner, whom she had successfully made reach an orgasm; her dear partner, who had watched her as she made animated gesticulations and repulsed faces that exactly told him what she thought about what he tasted like.

She had to admit that any feelings of victory and pride were diminished by that.

He lay drowsily on his bed, his arms and legs limp, his body glistening with sweat and his face looking like he might just pass out.

This was a good thing, wasn't it?

Maka wasn't sure.

Should she do something else now? Should she kiss him? Or maybe just hug him and cuddle with him. She hadn't gotten to the part of post-coital afterglow yet in her e-articles. Not to mention that she was naked, save for her soaked panties, and ready and eager for attention too. But she couldn't just demand from him to touch her so soon after that. Or could she? She glanced away from his face, absentmindedly letting her eyes linger on his heaving chest and then trailing them further down to his crotch, his erection softened.

Maybe it was an excuse not to look into his face and judging eyes again or maybe it really was her damnable curiosity but her gaze remained fixed on it until it went completely soft and slack.

Ah yes, she had gotten this far in her little 25-minutes-excursion. The refractory period. Soul wouldn't be able to get another erection for…some time now and touching his penis right now would not be the best of ideas. He was probably very sensitive and it would only feel unpleasant. So distracting him from the awkwardness by touching him there was out of the question. But maybe Soul was different and he would enjoy it and-

No. She shook her head. She wasn't going to try that out.

"Maka?" His tired voice made her tense up. Despite the unreasonable warnings of that nagging voice, she looked up into his face.

"Yes, Soul?"

Damn it! She felt even more nervous than before they had started everything. Her heart was hammering loudly and her palms were sweaty and her hands were trembling.

Soul smirked up at her and grabbing her by a shaky wrist, he pulled her down before she could voice any protests. She squeaked when she crashed on top of his bare chest. He groaned and muttered something unintelligible under his breath. She was still a bit dazed and her head was hazy with everything that had happened and the complete lack of knowledge of what she should do now and how to interpret her partner's sudden reaction.

Her head was pulled up from the crook of his neck by his large hand pressed against her cheek. She met his eyes with a frown but only because she didn't know how else to look at him. Should she smile like he was? Like an idiot? All of this did not matter when he simply crushed their lips together in a searing kiss. Glad that she didn't have to say or explain anything, Maka gratefully responded to it, relishing in the feeling of his lips moving against hers in a surprising display of eagerness he hadn't shown before during kissing.

"You are awesome," he said right after they parted. He was grinning from ear to ear and held her caged in his strong arms. She couldn't help but crack a smile at his compliment, the awkwardness and tense atmosphere dissipating ever so slightly. "And never stop being a bookworm," he added after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

Maka sighed happily and snuggled against his chest, just enjoying the warmth of his body and the way he ran his hand through her hair calmly. She just wanted to forget about all the things that they still had to deal with and just wanted to remain like this, comforted by his presence, the light caresses on her skin and his slow breaths against her temple.

Alas, such peace was bound to end. It was too soon for her liking but she couldn't exactly complain as her own doubts were the reason for it.

She never should have just called into mind how they were cuddling.

Why were they cuddling?

Yes, she had given him a blowjob but they were not a couple and that wasn't going to change. Shouldn't they agree to some boundaries and draw a line somewhere? Yes, she was aware of the weirdness of being alright with having oral sex but being adverse to a little pleasant cuddling. Maka couldn't help it. Lying relaxed in his embrace, listening to each other's heartbeats seemed a lot more intimate to her than any sexual contact could.

She stirred and pushing lightly against his arm, she rolled down next to his body on the mattress. She let out a puff of breath, knowing the talking had to start soon.

Soul hadn't moved and she allowed herself to glance at him from the corners of her eyes, curious and apprehensive. She gulped, the uneasiness creeping back into her body and making her very aware that they were both very naked and both terribly horny teenagers. She forced her lips to move just to say something in order to restrain herself from doing something rash and command him to touch her.

"So…um…are we going to do this…more often?" he asked, surprising her. She turned on her side to watch him, only to find him in the same position, gazing at her intently. His eyes flickered down to her chest for the barest of a moment before he concentrated on her face again, flushing brightly.

She blushed as well and quickly answered his question. "Yes, I mean…eh…if you don't mind." She averted her eyes but came to the intelligent conclusion that fixing them on his broad and muscular chest did not help in her case any.

"What do you want it to be then?"

She instantly looked up. "What do you mean?"

He sighed and rolled onto his stomach, cushioning his head on a forearm and letting the other lay limply at his side, almost letting it brush against her hand. "What I'm trying to say is…it's usually couples, who do…stuff like that. But we…aren't together, so…what are we going to do about that?"

"I…," she began uncertainly and clutched the pillow beneath her head in a fierce grip. She had already sorted this dilemma out in her head, so why was she still feeling so unsure about her decision? When Soul agreed to this, she wanted them to remain friends that occasionally did have sexual encounters with each other. "I don't want our relationship to change," she said more resolutely this time. "But I did enjoy what we have done very much."

Oh God, this was awful! How was she going to survive this conversation without dying from mortification first?

"So…you want us to be friends with benefits? Is that it?"

She cringed slightly, shooting him a light frown. "If you say it like that, it sounds really horrible. I feel bad."

"This could all turn to hell, you know?" he mumbled, gazing at some spot over her shoulder she couldn't see. "Do you think we can manage being in a partnership with only sex and no deeper feelings? Our partnership could be ruined."

"I know that," she said, her mortification making way for a much more familiar and welcome emotion, anger. "But if we agree to it, if we really agree to…not let any feelings come into play, what should be any different? I mean we're still going to talk to each other, we'll still hang around each other, we'll still go on missions together…but with the…added bonus of…sex."

"You make it sound so easy." He snorted and grinned a bit.

"Well, you make it sound too difficult. You watch too many movies, Soul."

"This has nothing to do with any movies I have watched, idiot."

"Then don't be so worried. You think too much!"

"And you think too little. You are supposed to be the smart one here. Does doing something sexual make you stupid?"

She growled and almost smacked his arm but quickly lowered it again. She took in a deep breath, berating herself for letting Soul get under her skin. "So are you trying to tell me that you don't want it?" The fear of his possible rejection made her gnaw nervously on her bottom lip.

"I didn't say that. It 's just…weird…all of this happening so quickly…and so suddenly." He uneasily scratched the back of his head and buried his face deeper into his pillow.

"But we can make it work," she said, touching his cheek to make him look at her. Her eyes were determined and she tried her best to come off as confident and certain even if the stupid, nagging doubts remained in the back of her head. "Um…you liked what I did…right?"

"I did." His voice was as quiet as hers, both of them overwhelmed by a sudden shyness, which made any eye contact impossible.

But Maka had to settle this right now. Licking her lips, she spoke up again, "Wouldn't it be great, if I…I…were to give you a blowjob… often?"

No, she hadn't just said that!

She slapped her hands over her face and gasped, sure that she was going to faint from the embarrassment and her spiking temperature. Feeling so hot couldn't be healthy. She didn't dare to look at Soul but she could hear the funny noises he made, a mixture of jumbled words and incredulous gasps that only made her feel more humiliated. Would it be alright if she just crawled under his bed and didn't come out for a few hours?

"I told…you that I like it," he muttered and shifted, the sound of his moving limbs loud and all too reminding her of his nakedness. "And you…didn't have…to…to…swallow."

She blushed an even deeper shade of red but was extremely grateful that he wasn't laughing at her. She had secretly hoped that he had not seen her disgusted and repulsed grimace. She could only squeak a timid "I know" and utter some badly mangled apologies afterwards.

She heard him sigh and felt his hands brush against hers that were still stubbornly covering her red face.

"Look at me, Maka."

"What is it?" She put her hands down and with harsh sigh and met his gaze. Well, at least he was probably about as red in the face as she was. They were suffering together!

"We can try this…I think. But let's stop when things get out of hand, okay?"

She knew, she knew only too well that they should decide on when exactly 'things get out of hand,' she knew that agreeing so thoughtlessly to this would only make things a lot more complicated later but she was tired of thinking. She had wrecked her brain along the way of thinking about their situation and finally wanted to have everything peacefully settled without any drama.

Going against her better judgment, she nodded. "Agreed."

Soul grinned uncertainly and swiftly rolled onto his back with a sigh. "Okay then."

She smiled at his imploring eyes, feeling another wave of heat creep into her belly. She couldn't believe this! She was allowed to touch Soul whenever she wanted and he could do the same with her. Gone would be the days of sexual frustration and half-hearted masturbation, gone would be the days of uselessly trying to hide her lustful leers at her partner. She felt giddy and warm and her blood pulsed frantically in her veins, her heart pumping with excitement.

The heat between her legs, she had been only semi-successful at ignoring, came back into focus with a vengeance. She clasped her thighs together and squirmed. Would it be alright to ask him to touch her now?

Her question was quickly answered. Maka only caught his wolfish grin and then he was hovering over her, staring down at her with glinting eyes. He ran his long tongue over his lips and teeth, the simple action making her shudder and gasp his name. His hand was at her knee and for all she knew he could replace it with burning coal and it would only make a difference in texture not heat. Her breath sped up, her heart hammered viciously as his hand ascended to the inside of her leg in a teasingly slow pace.

Her hands remained frozen on either side of her head, manacled down by invisible shackles. Her breath hitched when he touched her wet panties with just a finger. Her eyes fluttered shut and his name escaped her lips in a throaty whisper. A pleasant wetness on her neck made her open her eyes, only to find him nibbling at her flushed skin. She wanted to tell him what she wanted, had this urge to order him around and to demand that he touch her in a certain place right now but her mouth wouldn't cooperate. It could only release pants and mewls and if she wanted to be honest, she couldn't care less about who was the dominant one if he kept touching her.

His breath was searing against her ear and she barely noticed how he only slid her panties down to her knees before his impatience made him just cut it in half with a small finger-scythe.

"Soul! I just got them today from Blair! How could you-Ahh!"

His nimble finger moved against her wet core and she could feel his wide grin rather than see it as he whispered promisingly, "Are you up for some action too?"

* * *

A/N: After chapters with almost a complete lack of action, this chapter had enough action to please you hopefully...or not as I don't think there is an unsexier way to describe giving head. But well, Maka did well and they have finally talked it out. I am still very astounded about the number of reviews, favs and alerts this story gets. When I wrote this to my own pervy amusement I would have never expected so much attention. I hope DP will continue to be an entertaining read for you.


	7. Of uneasy trips

**Chapter Seven**

**Of uneasy trips to the supermarket, of Maka's newfound ally (the internet) and of some other stuff happening (most of all being filler)**

This summer break was the best ever.

Soul didn't bother putting on his badass leather jacket. Dressed in a loose shirt and worn out grey jogging pants, he slipped into his shoes and left the apartment quickly, shutting and locking the door behind him almost silently. It was another wonderfully warm day and still early, it wasn't even nine yet.

He barely repressed a grin as he walked through the sunny and relatively empty streets of Death City. His destination wasn't that far from their apartment and he slowly sauntered through the streets, enjoying the warm rays of the sun brushing his skin and the soft pleasant breeze cooling him at the same time. Although being woken up at an early time even though he had the possibility to sleep longer always amounted to him having a crappy mood for the first hours of the day, today was different.

Today, he was going to buy condoms.

He could jump into the air from excitement. His heart was pounding with his giddiness as he almost skipped along the sidewalk.

Maka and him hadn't really agreed to have sex yet but they had come pretty close and Soul wanted to be prepared and not risk anything. That's why he was on his early way to the nearest supermarket.

He had expected this summer break to pass as uneventfully as every other with maybe a few missions here and there but nothing too much as Shibusen was capable enough to take care of everything even when lots of students were gone. There were enough volunteers, staff members and students, who needed extra lessons, that could take on missions so that everyone else could enjoy a nice summer break. Moreover, if they couldn't handle it, they always could call grumpy students from their break to help out.

So far, Shibusen had not bothered them and the first month of his break passed simply splendidly with him receiving blowjobs on an almost daily basis. It was awesome! And being the cool guy he was, he had made sure she was taken care of too, of course. If only she wouldn't always make thinly veiled attempts at wanting to spit his jizz right back at his face.

This time he did allow himself to grin. Licking Maka was nearly as awesome as having her suck on his dick. Nearly. There was doubtlessly nothing hotter seeing her face twist in pleasure and her moaning his name. He shivered and shook his head with a frown. He had to stop this now or he would be sporting a boner in public if he always recalled his meister's amazing expression whenever she had an orgasm.

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he felt for the leathery surface of his wallet. He had no idea how much it would cost and how much - if - he was going to buy. He felt still a bit queasy about it, basically telling for everyone to see that he was probably going to get laid. It was a very intimate and private thing and he didn't feel entirely comfortable with coming out with it just like that. And what if there was someone he knew? It wouldn't take a lot to put two and two together to come to the correct conclusion of whom Soul was going to screw. He stilled, his good mood morphing into a wave of uneasiness and discomfort. His eyebrows twitched and his lips pulled back into an annoyed snarl.

Screw that! Screw if other people were about to judge and talk about him! There was nothing to feel uneasy about. He was going to get lucky and he was being responsible.

His shoulders arched into a lazy slouch as he opted to ignore the awkwardness that was certain to ensue, regardless of his inner proclamations of self-confidence. He resumed his casual saunter. It wasn't that far to the supermarket.

His eyes lit up and his lips curled into a lewd grin when he reached the supermarket. It was fairly empty, only a few people were there. Yes! The probability of him being seen whilst he was buying condoms was slim…but on the other hand he would stand out much more if someone should be nearby and catch sight of him. Soul had never seen anyone standing in front of the small section for sex products before and as uncool as it sounded, he would have probably curiously watched the guy or girl standing in front of condoms and lubes until they would be gone too.

Quickly retrieving a basket, he resolutely began his mission of buying condoms.

He was sweating slightly as he slowly walked through numerous aisles, purposely making his way longer to his destination. He spent unnecessarily more time in the alcohol section, eyeing various beverages curiously. He really needed to get wasted one time, pity that he wasn't even close to reaching 21. He could faintly recall having spotted a bottle of wine in their fridge, instantly knowing that it had to be Blair who had bought the bottle.

Maka was a lightweight when it came to alcohol. It was no surprise, she was tiny and barely drank anything alcoholic.

He snatched an expensive bar of dark chocolate, a small package of gummi bears in the candy section and walking further along the shelves, he took two bags of chips and placed them into the basket. He didn't want to put himself into the situation in which he would only give the cashier a package of condoms to scan. It would be more inconspicuous if he had more stuff in his basket.

Soul was terribly nervous and with each passing glance into the direction where he would find the section for sex products, he always made a u-turn away from it. With narrowed eyes, he realized that he was now surrounded by feminine hygiene products. Packages of tampons, sanitary pads and products of a nature he couldn't discern and didn't want to discern greeted him, making him recall the one time he had desperately wanted to have some action with Maka but couldn't because she had been on the rag and hadn't been in the mood to give him any attention.

It had been a horrible and agonizing week, which he had only been able to survive by jerking-off on an almost professional level. He already couldn't get enough of the limited sexual activities he took part in. Was this normal? Or was he just a sick and deprived teen? And would it worsen if they had 'real' sex? He gulped and wiped a trickle of sweat from his temple.

Instantly, his brain bombarded him with the most delightful of images ever. A horny and wanton Maka lying naked on his bed with her legs spread welcomingly, spouting the lewdest of words she would never use and telling him that she wanted him inside of her. He clenched his fist tightly into the loose fabric of his jogging pants.

Damn it all! He was going to buy these stupid contraceptives. He made a quick dash for the dreaded section and cautiously scanning the entire area around him, finding no one else in his proximity, he gazed at the shelves with scrutinizing eyes. His initial plan was to just grab a package and leave the supermarket immediately before someone spotted him.

The only problem with that awesome and underdeveloped plan was that he had too much to choose from.

His eyebrows furrowed and he released a strained sigh through his clenched teeth. At least the products were all from the same brand. It would have made any decision-making even more difficult if there had been more brands to choose from. He felt like such an idiot. He should have followed Maka's example and used the internet instead. This was beyond uncool.

As far as he could tell, he could choose from 17 different types of latex condoms (extra thin, extra sensitive, extra sensitive ribbed, tropically flavoured, and so on) and condoms made of some other material, whose name he found difficult to pronounce. And then, of course, he needed to get the right size and he absolutely had no idea what would fit him. He liked to think he was well-stacked, at least not pathetically small.

There was another question. Should he buy lube too? He probably should just in case. But then again, he could just grab some lubricated condoms and maybe ditch the lube completely.

He shook his head, practically feeling how his brain was smouldering at having to think so much so early. Gah! Decisions, decisions. And he sucked at making them. He should have come here more prepared. Ruffling his already bed-tousled hair, he released a sharp breath as he saw a middle-aged woman going past him. He froze on the spot, red eyes never leaving the slightly plump figure of the woman. He prayed that she wouldn't look his way.

But why? He shouldn't feel so self-conscious about stuff like that! He was a cool guy, who was very probably going to get laid. Wasn't this something to boast about instead of hiding it? He gritted his teeth and urged his panicky gaze away from the back of the nameless woman, who hadn't even so much as spared him a glance as of yet.

Shifting from one foot to the other, he gave his attention to the various products in front of him. Frowning heavily and clutching the basket into a firmer grip, he quickly grabbed a rectangular turquoise package. His cheeks tinged a light pink and his frown deepened at his decision for the medium sized, latex, extra thin deluxe condoms.

Maybe it was a pride-thing (it definitely was a pride-thing) but the cool Soul Eater could not just have admitted to himself that he was pretty much average down there, so he simply grabbed another rectangular package with condoms of a bigger size. How awesome would it make him look if he were to say a line like: _"Sorry this one doesn't fit. Just let me take the bigger ones."_?

Should he buy a size smaller too then, just in case?

He shook his head, dismissing the option entirely.

Waiting at the checkout was such a drag, not only were a few people in front of him in the line, there were also two people behind him. He slowly unloaded his groceries with sweaty hands, making sure to hide the condoms. The line moved quickly and his heart thudded in his chest loudly, making him gulp and tensely move his wallet from one hand to the other in order to give the impression of nonchalance.

When it was finally his turn, the two minutes the cashier needed to scan all the products he wanted to buy and tell him the total sum he had to pay with tired eyes and a very bored voice to match, felt like two hours to him. He startled out of his frozen and nervous stupor and paid. Grabbing his change, he quickly stuffed everything into the cheap plastic bag and left the store with a curt 'Goodbye' without glancing back.

He exhaled with relief as the humid warmth of the sun greeted him outside. He sheepishly glanced down at the bag in his hand, crushed and crumpled in his fist.

The walk back home seemed to pass a lot faster than the way to the supermarket. He felt light-headed and he couldn't keep the persistent smirk from his face.

He had done it! He had condoms! The implications of this new development and what could possibly happen, what he and Maka both would allow to happen, made him slightly dizzy and his smirk spread wider, making him look like deranged maniac. But Soul could care less.

Before he went upstairs, he slipped the two small boxes into the pockets of his jogging pants. Maka was surely going to ask him what made him get up so early and would want to take a closer look at what he had gotten himself. He didn't need her to find the condoms like that and he was without a doubt going to get scolded by her for only buying unhealthy stuff. Maybe he should have gotten something like bread too. Well, it was too late for that now.

"Soul? Where have you been?"

Maka's voice greeted him from the kitchen. Before he could say something in response, she came around the corner, wiping her hands on her apron dry. Her gaze immediately fell onto the pale plastic bag that dangled from his fingertips. "What were you doing at the supermarket so early?"

"Oh you know…just got myself some stuff. What's for breakfast?"

Trying to change the subject when Maka was already alert and suspicious was always futile. This time was no different as she grabbed the bag from his hand and took a look at what was inside before he could voice his protests.

"Soul!" Her eyes narrowed into a disapproving scowl as he glanced down silently, inwardly cringing at what was about to come. "You woke up early for that? Not only are you eating too unhealthily but you never get up early when I ask you to when we need important stuff from the supermarket. You do know that you have to double your training if you are going to eat all of this," she took out a bag of chips and pressed it against his face. He swatted her hand away with an annoyed grunt. He sighed as Maka rambled on and on, putting her hands on her hips and tapping her foot against the floor. She looked kind of adorable but it was also annoying. He was probably going to get a headache and he really was in no mood to argue with her. Why waste such precious minutes with arguing when there were far more enticing things they could be doing with that time, not to mention stopping speech all together?

"And what do you have to say to your-"

Taking a step forward, he grabbed her hips and pulled her close. Her breath hitched and the bag fell from her grasp next to his left foot. It was marvellous what he could do to her now; touching her to shut her up was such a better alternative to yelling at her.

"Soul? What are you…"

"Shut up. You talk too much," he said with a grin and leaned down. Her eyes fluttered closed when their lips brushed. He felt her momentarily tense up in his arms, before she relaxed with a satisfied hum and leaned in more closely, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders. They had definitely gotten better at kissing, they weren't slobbering anymore…. well, at least not as much as before.

He pushed her against the wall, their lips parting shortly before meeting again in a clash of tongues and teeth, and he pushed his knee between her thighs, pressing against her and making her spread her legs farther apart.

"Mmm…Soul," she panted and pressed her hand against his chest, "Soul….wait."

He pulled away, fixing her shuddering and flushed form with questioning eyes. She ducked her head, avoiding looking at him. "What is it? Why are you so shy all of the sudden?" he asked with a wide grin, clutching her shoulders and causing her to meet his smouldering gaze, "Last night you were anything but shy. In fact, if I remember correctly you just-"

"I know, I know!" she pushed him away and did her best to glare indignantly. "We have no time for it now. What's the point of making out when nothing more is going to happen?"

"The point of making out? It's fun?" he said and at her red cheeks, he raised his brows suggestively. "What makes you so sure that nothing more is going to happen?"

"I made breakfast and it'll get cold if we do stuff….and you should take a shower first."

"What? Wow, that's harsh Maka," he turned away from her with a frown.

"You know what I mean, Soul," she scoffed and brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. "I don't mean that you smell-"

"Whatever."

He discarded his clothes in his room without a second thought, praying that Maka would not go there to see the messiness. Grabbing a towel and some spare comfortable clothes, he passed the short distance from his room to the bathroom stark naked. It was another thing he could enjoy, not caring much about modesty (as long as Blair wasn't around). But lately the cat was rarely seen around here, when asked about it she would coyly reply with, she 'was working on something big'.

Soul did not mind her absence as she wouldn't waste any time in attempting to squeeze as many details as possible about his and Maka's get-togethers from him.

He was quickly done with his shower (which in Soul's world meant instead of spending 45 to 50 minutes in the shower, about 30 minutes. He always insisted on a minimum of 10 minutes).

Maka was already sitting at the table, eagerly munching on the pancakes she had prepared. His mouth watered at the delicious smell and he let himself plop heavily onto a chair with a satisfied sigh.

"Tsubaki called," Maka said after a while as they had been enjoying their breakfast mostly in silence.

Soul looked up, only mildly curious. "Oh? What did she say. How are they doing?"

"They're fine. They'll be back in two days."

"Really?"

She nodded and took a large gulp from her cup filled with green tea. "I'm looking forward to seeing Tsubaki again but I could really do with a bit longer without Black*Star," she said, after putting her cup down. She sighed and propped her cheek against a flat palm, taking a deep breath. "I have gotten really used to everyday being peaceful and calm."

"Don't be like that. Black*Star may be annoying but it is fun having him around."

She snorted loudly. "No, it is not. He's noisy, arrogant and 'fun' means in his case beating everyone up and getting into dangerous situations."

Soul grinned. "As I said, it's fun with him around."

Maka stared at him incredulously and took another sip from her tea. He leaned back on his chair, crossing his arms behind his head and using his hands as a headrest. He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the comfortable silence. Only Maka's quiet slurping noises disrupted it from time to time.

"Are we going to tell them?" he asked without opening his eyes.

He heard her cup making a loud thud against the wood of the table, heard her skirt ruffling with her slight movements.

"You mean about us…having a sexual relationship?"

He gave a sound of confirmation and finally opened his eyes. She looked uneasy and was staring down at her hands on her lap. He patiently waited for her answer. He was unsure himself what to do about their peculiar arrangement. He would probably go with Maka's decision.

"I think it's better if they don't know," she said, biting her lip and then she looked up, eyes hardened resolutely and her lips pressed into a thin line. "It's none of their business what we do privately and besides…they wouldn't leave us alone about it. I don't need to hear them teasing us and telling us how they always had known it would end like this."

"Huh?" His eyebrows shot up and he tilted his head quizzically to the left. "What do you mean?"

"They…well, the girls always tease me about us. They tell me how we are so meant to be together and that we already act like a married couple." Her soft voice had taken a distasteful edge, she sighed exasperatedly as she continued with a groan, her tone bored, "Do you have any idea how annoying it is? Especially Liz! And when she doesn't shut up, Patti joins in, too. Only Tsubaki is considerate enough to take my words seriously."

Well, that was new. Maka had never told him about the girly talks she had with the other chicks. And he had never thought that the other girls thought that way about them.

"Don't let them get to you," he said, grinning at her in an attempt to have her regain her good humour. "You know how Liz is. She always likes to see romantic signs everywhere, even if there aren't any in the first place."

She smiled slightly. "Yes but it isn't just Liz. Tsubaki is also like that. Only more subtle and less nosy."

He hummed, taking all of this in. He would be lying if he had never thought about them being a couple lately. It surely wouldn't seem like a big step, especially now that they had sexual relations but he never thought too deeply about that. Why should he? They had agreed to be nothing more than friends, who were intimate with each other, and much to his pleasant surprise, it worked well so far. They didn't treat each other that different outside the times they touched each other. They still watched a movie together every Sunday, they still went out together and they still bickered and annoyed the living hell out of each other on particularly frustrating days.

But now they could channel their anger in some other activity besides yelling. He grinned breezily and shut his eyes again.

"Don't Kid or Black*Star ever ask you about us?"

She stood up to gather the few plates onto a neat pile. The sudden noisiness and clanking of ceramic made him scowl. Fortunately, there wasn't much silverware on the table as he preferred to eat his pancakes with his hands. It was easier and it saved them from more dirty dishes.

"No," he said curtly, cracking a single eye open. She placed everything into the sink, her movements unusually sluggish and slow. Normally, Maka liked to have things done and clean as fast as possible without any delays, not wanting to waste time she could put to good use otherwise. She was strict like that. "Black*Star is probably too dense to read anything into our partnership or anyone's partnership for that matter. And Kid…just no, he never said anything like that either."

Maka looked thoughtfully at her hands as she let the hot water fill the sink. She turned off the tap and then let the cold water run from the faucet. "I bet Liz has told him about her 'theories' already. Kid is just too polite to bother you with it."

But Soul wasn't listening anymore, he was far too distracted by her skirt, more precisely by her uncovered legs and her nice ass. He gulped, her voice falling onto deaf ears. It was a good think she was busy with the dirty dishes.

His hands itched to touch her again. The pathetic kiss from before was not enough to sate him. He needed to tear her skirt off, needed to grope her ass and wanted her to quiver and scream with every attentive flick of his tongue against her folds. It didn't take long for his head to be filled with images of a nude and lustful Maka.

"Soul!"

He startled and came to realize much to his dismay that he didn't have Maka's well-rounded butt in front of his eyes but her front….not that it was less appealing, really. It took him another second to realize that his eyes should neither be glued to her butt nor to her front and it was only then he lifted his gaze to meet her indignantly narrowed eyes.

"What?" he asked, his voice hoarse and strained.

She gave a grunt and huffed. "You weren't listening to me."

"Uhhh…well, your ass is distracting."

Oh shit! This was certainly not the right thing to say, was it? He closed his eyes, awaiting the collision of a book on his skull for his perverseness. His worries were quickly assuaged when he heard her snort softly and sigh afterwards, completely ignoring the fact that he had been shamelessly ogling her. His tense shoulders relaxed and he allowed himself to open his eyes once more. Yes, he remembered how Maka had admitted to him she might have been guilty of doing the same. His lips twitched. So equal opportunities for both.

"You were saying?"

"Kid also called and asked us to join them for their trip to Malibu. Tsubaki and Black*Star will probably come too."

"Malibu? Nice!"

Maka nodded and grinned. "Yeah, we rarely get the chance to make a trip together. I'm sure it will be a lot of fun!"

"Has Kid already picked a hotel?"

Her grin widened. "We aren't going to stay at a hotel."

He scowled slightly. "What? Don't tell me this is going to be a camping trip or some similar crap."

"Nope." She giggled and flicked his forehead, earning her a disgruntled growl. "We're going to stay at a vacation home. A villa to be precise."

"Seriously? Can we afford that?"

"It is privately owned by Shinigami-sama, so we aren't paying anything for it."

"Awesome."

It was indeed very awesome, although it posed the unanswerable question of why the quirky Death God would need a vacation home in Malibu. The ridiculous image of Shinigami-sama, complete with heavy cloak and goofy mask, lounging leisurely in front of a pool with drink in a large hand and getting a tan was just priceless. It made him smirk. Maka's voice pulled him out of his reverie filled with even more eccentric Death Gods taking tans fully clothed.

"I'll need a new bikini though," she said, deep in thought. "The one I have now is too small."

"Really?" He grinned mischievously, already picturing her in revealing swimwear. "I am always ready to help you with that…you know, I could always give you a once-over and pat you down just to be sure everything fits."

"You're such a pervert."

She flicked his forehead again, the corners of her mouth twitched upward when he caught her hand and pulled her close.

"Says the one who pinched my ass yesterday to get my attention."

"I did not pinch your…butt!" She spluttered and blushed but did nothing to resist his advances and seated herself readily on his lap.

"I'm pretty sure you did."

"I absolutely did not pinch your butt! It was an accident. My hand just grazed you there, if at all." She struck her nose high, haughtily challenging him to prove her otherwise.

"And why pray tell do I have a fat blue bruise exactly on the place on my ass where your hand had just supposedly grazed me? It hurts when I sit, you know."

"W-what?" her blush crawled over her entire face, even turning the tips of her ears red. He snickered at her gaping mouth and mortified face. "Oh…I-I didn't mean to…I'm sorry, I didn't think it was enough to leave a bruise- wait! I can't believe it! You tricked me!"

At his roaring laughter she crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head away with a huff. Oh, this was great. Teasing Maka never failed to amuse him, especially since outside of their little get-togethers she still refused to embrace her inner pervert and clung to her old image of the prude.

"Why are you denying it? Being a pervert is in your genes, Maka."

She gasped in response, glowered down at him, and uncrossed her arms, letting them slide down his chest gently. "This isn't funny, Soul," she growled as her hands crept from his arms up to his shoulders and came to rest at the back of his neck. If Soul still had the ability to think properly, he wouldn't have dismissed the option that she might strangle him with her conveniently placed hands now. But having her on his lap, playing with the tips of his hair and feeling her soft breath against his lips with her face so close to his made that impossible for now.

He grasped her hips, positioning her more securely on his lap, and Maka closed the small gap between their lips. His heart rate skyrocketed the instant he felt her soft flesh. It was unbelievable how this woman was driving him crazy with such a simple touch, although he had been completely adverse to having Blair shove her entire naked body against him. One would think he would be completely desensitised after practically having seen it all over the years.

Maka was quite impatient today, he noted, slightly surprised and very happy. His shirt was gone in a matter of seconds. She practically devoured his lips, her tongue plunging swiftly into his mouth and pushing against his own fervently. It didn't take them long to discard Maka's shirt and bra, their hands were more proficient with that now, more certain and definitely quicker. Their touches became rougher, more curious and hungrier for more skin.

The chair fell down noisily as they clumsily stood only to sluggishly make their way down onto the floor. The tiles were cold against their heated skin. Maka let out a hiss when he pushed her on her back. Her eyes were glazed over and hazy with lust, her lips were parted and she looked fucking irresistible. He tore off her skirt and panties without a care in the world, didn't care even when she scratched his neck as retaliation for the loss of another few garments. It was beyond his grasp why she was so furious about that, she looked the best completely naked anyway.

He touched her everywhere, running a hand through her soft hair, marvelling at how it spilled onto the pale tiles like a smooth waterfall. He stroked her cheeks, kissed her mouth and played with her enticing tongue. Her neck was long and smooth, her pulse was powerful beneath his fingers; his hands travelled a quick path down, her skin was mildly sweaty and warm, burning the tips of his fingers.

She moaned contently when he palmed her soft breasts, her nipples already hard and sensitive.

"S-Soul…mmmh…I…I…n-"

He grinned against her thigh as he trailed kisses up and down it, his fingers feeling her strong muscles tense when he pulled one leg over his shoulder. His tongue followed every little press of lips with a wet flick on its own, Maka's cries of pleasure becoming more urgent and needy.

"Soul…it's…c-cold!"

"What?"

"The floor…it's too cold."

She didn't need to say anything more. Oh, he knew how she would feel warmer. A change of location was needed. Right now. He scooped her up by her hips and instead of making the relatively long way to either of their bedrooms, he hoisted her up on the table right next to them.

"You can't be serious, Soul!" She squeaked as he gently pushed her by a shoulder, making her lie down on the wooden surface. "We-we eat here!"

"So," he kneeled down on the floor, ignoring the coldness of the tiles. The position was unpleasant and was doubtlessly going to hurt his knees but any possible discomfort was forgotten when he spread her legs far apart. He looked up, their eyes met. "You don't like it, you stop me."

They held each other's gaze for a moment, daring the other to break the contact. He blinked. She blinked.

She sighed and eventually lay down again. "You're going to pay for this, Soul."

He puffed against her leg and smirked. "Looking forward to it."

* * *

"We should get cleaned up," Maka mumbled against his shoulder, a sleepy arm draped over his chest as they lay there together on their dining table, sweaty and hot and their throats sore. "Blair might come and find us like this."

"Hmm…let her."

Soul was too tired and too content to let the cat or Maka's worries interrupt this moment of peace. That the table was hard and wooden and uncomfortable was something he had long forgotten, instead he enjoyed how Maka was pressed against him, her skin warm against his and her breathing against his shoulder soothing. As much as he would love to stay like this, he knew Maka wouldn't let them. He sighed and stroked her upper arm absentmindedly, drowsily staring at the clean drying plates, which she had washed before.

"We're cuddling," she stated blankly, making him cringe and release her arm. She quickly let her own arm drop to her side, he instantly missed her warmth, suddenly feeling cold. He wanted to say something to make the moment less awkward but she beat him to it. "Remember what we agreed to: no cuddling."

Ah yes, he faintly remembered the few rules they had established in this ill-defined relationship of theirs (he loathed the term friends with benefits). No cuddling being one of them and another being no public display of this newfound intimacy. He was sure that there were a few more but he couldn't remember.

If they hadn't established the no-cuddling-rule, he would have probably never realized that he was in fact a cuddle-whore. Not cool. Maka shifted beside him, her legs smoothly sliding against his as she stretched, sighing as she stood up.

Soul allowed himself a moment to gaze at her body adoringly, he never could get enough of her. How could he ever tear his gaze away from her amazing body? Slowly, he too heaved himself into a sitting position and left the table, starting to gather his discarded clothes and intently watching Maka do the same, swallowing hard when she bent down to pick up her skirt.

It was crazy, really. Whenever he saw her, he wanted to touch her. And not only in the sexual sense. He would also be very content with a simple hug, or just a brush against her cheek, or merely a peck against her lips. His breath caught in his throat when she turned around, holding her clothes in front of her but not positioning them so that they could cover her nude body. In fact, she seemed to be as distracted as he was. He found it hard to breathe, clenched his fists and let his shirt drop to the floor.

He wanted her. Wanted to hold her and look deeply into her eyes and tell her-

Wait!

Those were dangerous thoughts. Why was he thinking them in the first place? He shook his head, shredding these fickle emotions. He was aware how he would jeopardize everything if he allowed them to venture further.

"Soul? Is something the matter?"

He shook his head and ruffled his hair. "No, everything's fine."

As suddenly as the thoughts had crashed down on him, they vanished as suddenly. He slipped on his boxers but left the other garments on the floor, ignoring Maka's disapproving frown.

His throat was parched and dry and the three steps more to the sink were three too many for him so he settled for scanning the fridge for a cool drink. He trembled a bit as a wave of coldness wafted over him. He really should have gotten some drinks from the supermarket too, the only thing they had left was a carton of milk. He shrugged. It had to do for now.

Languidly grasping the half-empty carton, he took large and loud satisfying gulps, the slithering and cool sensation down his throat making him shiver and sigh.

"What are you doing, Soul?"

He took the carton away from his mouth and wiped the thin stripe of milk above his lip away with the back of his hand. There she stood just a few steps away from him, in nothing but her bland white bra and panties and although her underwear wasn't particularly sexy, especially compared to the deliciously red lingerie she had worn once, her creamy skin and her soft curves were enough to make his mind go completely blank. It took him another few seconds to slowly realize that Maka was sounding annoyed and another few seconds to guess why.

"Right. I'll get a glass right now. No drinking from the carton."

In a matter of milliseconds said carton was rudely snatched from his hand, leaving him only air to grasp.

"No milk for you, no dairy products at all to be precise."

"…"

"They make your ejaculate taste bad."

"…"

He looked at her as if she had sported another set of legs from her back.

"And you should stop eating fish too."

The thick fog of Ultimate Confusion cleared at that particular sentence. _No fish_, she said _no fish _for him. NO fish! Was she out of her mind?

"What the hell, woman!"

"You are going to change your diet. If you eat healthier, the taste of your ejaculate will improve…so-" she tapped a finger against the carton of milk in her hands "-no dairy products and fish and no alcohol and fast food either."

And she rambled on and on and he shut her voice out completely when she started to speak about some chemical processes in his body and how they affected the taste of his jizz. There was that stupid feeling again, the urge of wanting to have the ground underneath him swallow him whole so that he wouldn't be faced with such a mortifying conversation.

"Maka…" she fell silent and her apprehensive gaze awaited his next words cautiously "…Like hell I am going to stop eating."

"I'm not telling you to stop eating, Soul," she tiredly said with a frown, "I'm just telling you to change your diet into a healthier one."

"No, you're telling me to stop eating and drinking any dairy products. Do you know how much stuff is made of milk? And no fish? Seriously? Get real. Are you really expecting me to stop eating my favourite dish for such a stupid reason?"

"Stupid reason?" Maka snapped. "Have you ever tried drinking bleach?"

"What has that to-"

"Just try it because you taste like bleach."

He spluttered and gasped and slapped a hand against his forehead. "You…you don't have to swallow, I told you so before."

Honestly, could this conversation get any more awkward and humiliating? In a split moment of madness, he glanced at the floor in hopes a hole appearing to make him vanish from view and this conversation. No such luck. It was ridiculous. There they were standing in the kitchen half-naked having an argument about his choice of food because his jizz tasted bad.

"But you like it, don't you. I mean when I…swallow," she looked down to her feet with a bright blush spreading across her cheeks. Hissing, he found his gaze following the same path. He watched her bare toes wiggle nervously as he shifted from one foot to the other. Silence….then, "And don't worry, I'll change my diet too. It would be unfair to make you go through it all by yourself," she said with a timid smile, gazing at him from under her long lashes.

"And it is not unfair that you don't ask me what I think about all of this? It's not a decision you can make on your own and just expect me to bow to your every whim."

Not that he wasn't already bowing to her every whim. Soul doubted he would have been as adverse to her idea if she had just asked him if he were ready to change his diet, but coming to him like that and stubbornly demanding him to do as she said was not something he could agree to so fast.

"Okay, maybe I was a bit too pushy and sudden," she muttered awkwardly. "But will you consider it at least?"

Large, beautiful green eyes pinned him onto the spot, pleading and demanding and hoping, all at the same time. He sighed heavily. He couldn't say 'no' to her.

"Yes, I'll consider it. But don't bash my head when I don't want to in the end."

"I wont, I promise," she beamed happily, eyes sparkling with mirth. "And it's not like you have to keep up with such a strict diet every day. Whenever you eat or drink something it takes 12 to 24 hours to secrete out of your body so if we do a bit of planning…"

"I still haven't agreed to it Maka and besides we kinda jump each other at every opportunity and spontaneously…so planning ahead becomes kinda moot."

She pressed her lips together, stilling her babbling instantly. She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, yes, you're right. We'll just buy lots of fruit, which should also improve taste and…and peppermint and lemon make ejaculate taste sweeter."

"How do you know all of this?" he asked, getting more and more the impression of being about to be used as some sort of guinea pig if he agreed to her strange changes of diet.

"Internet."

Of course. The internet, the great source of all knowledge, false or right, had become some sort of heaven for Maka Albarn.

"You do know that there's also a lot of shit on the internet. Are you sure what you're always reading isn't some made up stuff?"

She blinked. "No, of course not! Who do you take me for? I don't go to just any random site."

"Right. Sorry for doubting your prowess with handling the internet," he muttered lowly.

"Soul…" she warningly trailed off, fixing him with an intense gaze.

He stretched his arms over his head, sighing at the pleasant feeling of his muscles stretching. "Whatever, tiny tits. I'm not in the mood for your lectures about how to make jizz taste better."

She gasped loudly, which Soul simply took for another unreasonable wave of embarrassment and maybe even annoyance.

"Tiny tits? Really Soul? Even after you have touched them and had your fun with them you still make fun of my breasts," she growled, her fists clenching tightly and her arms quivering with her calm fury.

He groaned exasperatedly. "So what? Your breasts are small, it's a fact. And it is not meant as an insult."

"I might have not taken as an insult if you hadn't said it to so derisively."

"My bad. Sorry. Next time, I'll try to say it more nicely." He rubbed his eyes, fatigue setting in again.

"You're not taking me serious."

"How do you know?"

"Stop mocking me! It's a big deal for me and you have always made fun of my body. And now you just expect me to shrug your words off?"

"Well, yeah."

"You're unbelievable!"

He closed his eyes automatically and raised his arms in front of his body, bracing himself for a Maka-Chop. But it never came. Slowly and tentatively, he reopened his eyes, dubiously noticing how Maka hadn't moved an inch and despite the lack of the brutal violation of his skull, she was still glaring at him murderously. Was that steam coming out of her ears?

"What? No…Maka-Chop?"

"When was the last time I hit you with a book, you idiot?" She sighed, the anger draining from her face to make way for an expression he found more difficult to deal with. She frowned sadly and wrapped her arms around her chest. "I promised I would never hit you again. Remember?"

He blinked dumbly. Now that he thought about it and recalled her promise, he indeed came to the realization that Maka hadn't used a Maka-Chop to get her revenge since that day. The only thing he remembered was the half-hearted smack against his arm from time to time, which he usually returned without thinking twice about it. Truth to be told, he hadn't been able to pay a lot of attention to her promise because he had been more occupied with the fact that Maka had been crying and begging him not to leave her.

Way to make him feel shitty now. But still! She was exaggerating. It's not like he meant it as an insult and hadn't he made it clear enough that he loved her body after a month of heavy petting and oral sex? This was just stupid.

"I still don't see what the big deal is. You shouldn't be so sensitive about it. It's not cool."

"No big deal?"

Ah there was it again, that furious spark in her eyes, simmering with the intent to slaughter. This was more familiar. This was good…or not. He wasn't so sure now. She did look quite scary…even in underwear.

"No big deal, you say?" She bowed her head, blonde bangs falling over her eyes, shielding them effectively from his view. "Maybe you're right, Soul."

"Huh? What?"

Was that really happening? Or was he hallucinating?

And then she looked up, smiling. It made him take a few steps back. This wasn't a smile of politeness or happiness or what have you. It was strained and looked almost cruel. Was she going to break her promise of no Maka-Chops? Had he pushed her buttons too much? He gulped, ready to run for his life.

"Maybe I really am overreacting. Maybe I am too sensitive."

She sighed, watching him fidget and panic with amusement in her green eyes.

"Whatever. I'm going to take a shower now."

And with that she turned around, leaving him to stare at her retreating back with a flabbergasted expression and gaping mouth and before he had so much as time to feel relieved that she had not Maka-Chopped him, she paused at the door, her hand on the doorknob and some of her earlier discarded clothes bundled under her other arm. She looked over her shoulder. "Oh and I've always wanted to say this: You have a small dick."

With that she was gone

He remained there rooted on the spot, his mouth hanging open and saucer-eyed.

What? She couldn't have probably just said what he believed he had heard? No way! She…she…no…just…never. His dick wasn't small! Or was it?

Just to make sure, he pulled his boxers down, getting a good look at it. He bit his lip uncertainly, her words still ringing in his ears. Was it possible to inflict physical pain on someone with nothing but words?

His dick wasn't small, damn it!

Or…maybe he should have bought the smaller sized condoms from the supermarket just in case. What had she done to him?

Fuck this! He'd rather be on the receiving end of thousand Maka-Chops than this.

* * *

A/N: First off, sorry that this chapter took me so long. I was uninspired and the moment I finally finished it my laptop decided to give up and now it has to be repaired (Why laptop, why must you be so cruel to me? Haven't I always treated you well? Okay, maybe I did let you fall down a few times but still!) Secondly, I know that this chapter is quite boring and I struggled quite a bit to make it remotely interesting for you guys, I hope I succeeded somehow. And thirdly, I will be spending the whole of July in Turkey. Yay! I love Turkey but I don't know if I'll be able to update then, I'll try but I wont make any promises.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter


	8. Of Blair making a return

**Chapter Eight**

**Of Blair making a return, of very awkward apologies and quite the satisfying way to end a feud.**

That jerk!

After everything they had done, he still resumed the stupid name calling and belittling of her chest? He was impossible.

Sitting on her bed with a furious frown marring her face, she glanced down, scrutinizing her breasts. She tentatively cupped one.

They weren't that small, were they?

She feverishly shook her head. What was she doing? She had come to terms with her body and come to appreciate it and now she had been reduced to her old self-conscious self with just a few thoughtless words on Soul's part. She groaned and let her body hit the mattress fully. She hated this. But at least she had gotten back at him. She grinned faintly before the corners of her mouth lowered into a dejected scowl.

Calling his dick small wasn't probably the most mature response. But at least he got a taste of his own medicine and knew what it felt like being made fun of constantly because of one's body, although she didn't think that he had a small penis…at all. She sighed heavily. Already, she was feeling bad about it but still he shouldn't have started it in the first place and that so soon after they had touched each other. Anyone was bound to feel a little hurt when such derisive words were thrown at oneself.

Still, she couldn't fight off the pang of guilt that threatened to consume her entire mind at his dumbstruck face. At first it had been a little funny but after recalling how she had always felt, being called names like that, any amusement had vanished only to be replaced by that damned guilt. She wasn't any better when she employed the same methods as him to get petty revenge, right?

He still had no right to talk shit like that though.

Should…should she apologize? Her powerful pride adamantly argued against it but her sensible side encouraged it with the argument that everything would be solved quickly without having such a petty, childish quarrel needlessly dragged out.

Alas, her pride won for now.

A few knocks on her door made her jump and squeak, startled and disoriented. Soul? Her heart thudded loudly and her lips quirked into a smile.

"C-come in."

The door opened with a whoosh of air and Maka's hesitant smile faltered when saw Blair stepping into her room with several shopping bags and cartons floating above her head and inside her room.

"Hello, Maka-chan," Blair greeted her with a cute grin and a wink.

Maka's eyebrow twitched, her eyes were wide and full of questions. "Uh…Blair. What…what's that?" she asked shrilly, pointing at the numerous bags that were now scattered around her once tidy room.

Blair's smile stretched into a grin, making Maka expect the worst.

"I got you a lot of pretty things. You'll like it and Soul-kun too. I'm sure."

Her eyes narrowed at the mentioning of her partner's name.

"You got me things? What kind of things?"

"Oh, where should I begin? There's a lot of stuff!" The cat tapped her chin thoughtfully, her mouth set in a straight line and then punched against her palm with her eyes glinting happily. "I know! Since Maka-chan always gets flustered, Blair won't beat around the bush. I'll start with the toys."

"The toys?"

"Yep."

Maka took a few steps back from the feline as she picked up a black, very inconspicuous suitcase and strolled over to her. The meister had that unpleasant, gut-sinking feeling whenever something mortifying was about to happen in her life. When…when Blair talked about _toys_, she couldn't be meaning teddy bears, plushies and dolls, could she?

Yet Maka stood there transfixed as the cat positioned the suitcase on top of her bed, messing the sheets up slightly much to her chagrin. She fiddled around with the locks or whatever it was holding that damn thing safely shut, and in eventually opened it with a dramatic move of her hand.

"Tadaa!"

Maka blinked, her heart seeming to drop from its designated place in her chest down to her leg. With her heart lost, her blood circulation still seemed fine however, as it pounded viciously through her veins.

"What?"

She couldn't believe her eyes. She wanted to avert them, she really wanted, she swore to herself but she couldn't. It was like watching a train wreck, a train wreck accompanied by a posse of pink clowns playing poker with a silly children's card game on motorcycles.

"Blair…what?"

Human speech was beyond her capabilities right now. Maka Albarn has been reduced to being only able to mutter two words coherently. She was met with quite the peculiar sight. The suitcase…the suitcase Blair had just opened, the suitcase, which was a present for her apparently…was filled with…so many phallic shaped…_stuff,_ that she had to wonder for a brief moment if this was her punishment for calling Soul's penis small. It had to be. The revenge of the penis.

"Are you okay?"

She barely registered Blair's worried voice; it was just a drawled out, high-pitched noise.

"Ah…maybe I shouldn't have started with the toys."

Toys?

Right.

Those were toys.

Toys!

"Blair?" She didn't recognize her own voice. At least it wasn't squeaky anymore, although it hardly resembled its usual feminine pitch any longer. "What…am I supposed to do with these."

"Eh…use them?"

"Why?"

"Why?"

"That's what I'm asking you!"

"You use them to have fun."

"…"

"M-maka…?"

"…"

"Aw, I think I broke her."

* * *

The next minutes or hours or whatever unit of measurement for time passed in a blur. Maka was still aware of what was being said, which made her soul die little by little. She didn't know how to handle this. Blair's voice sounded more grating than usual, her room seemed hotter than usual, messier than usual, her nerves were more frayed than usual. The cat had made her sit down on her chair. She had to have looked closer to collapsing than she had initially imagined.

Her eyes were dull and somewhat vacant but they still took in the ridiculous sight in front of her fully. A very colorful sight. Reds, greens, blues and purples and neon-yellows assaulting her vulnerable eyesight like deadly missiles in all their colorful glory.

Slowly, a small spark returned into her eyes. She was vaguely aware of how she raised her arm and how her forefinger stretched and pointed at something purple and ribbed. She knew this feeling. And it made her curse herself to hell and back that she was starting to get curious about…these toys!

"Blair?" she tentatively began. The cat perked up, her ears inquisitively standing at attention.

"What…is that?"

Golden eyes followed the direction of her arm and finger and her lips curled into a smirk when she finally caught on what she was pointing at.

"You mean this?"

Blair took the purple thing unabashedly by sticking her finger into the opening of it. She twirled it in front of her face, giggling like a moron. Maka gulped and nodded uncertainly.

"This is a penis sleeve."

Maka blinked. "A what?"

"A penis sleeve."

"I heard you…I mean…what…what do you do with…it?"

"Ah, now you're getting curious, huh?" Blair giggled again, sounding like that evil, cartoony witch from a TV show she had used to watch with her dad every Sunday morning. The witch had been invading her dreams for a long time afterwards. Maka shuddered and averted her eyes, embarrassed.

"Soul-kun just has to put this on his dick. It will make him bigger and the bumps will make the sex soooo much hotter!"

"O-oh."

"It's really good!"

For a short moment she believed her brain had short-circuited before she felt the haziness clearing a bit. She would never, _ever_ ask Soul to put that thing on! Never! Especially not after she had told him that his penis was small. She cringed and bowed her head. Fuck! What was she supposed to do now?

Her glance was caught by another…contraption that Blair had brazenly placed on her bed.

"Umm…Blair? What is that?"

"Oh! You mean that? That's a strap-on."

"Ah…"

She had no idea what it meant and her clueless gaze probably spoke volumes about her utter lack of knowledge about devices that are perhaps only used in pornographic movies. The device Blair let dangle by her finger consisted of a pink, phallic shaped appendage attached to what looked like a belt.

Blair sighed loudly, disappointment evident in her expression, making Maka growl inwardly. She didn't like not knowing something. And being down because of it no matter how ridiculous the knowledge about the subject at hand was, made her even more irritated. Yes, she had done extensive research about sex but she had disregarded the topic of…marital aids completely.

"And...what do you do with a strap-on?"

Maka wasn't stupid, not at all, and she could deduce its possible function by it shape and form, but it still didn't make sense in her head because why would-

"You put it on and have fun with it, of course!"

"..."

Blair's expression went from delightedly happy to exasperated in a matter of seconds. Maka would have really liked to punch her, but knew it was futile because the cat was a quick one and would have easily dodged her violent attempts at her remaining eight lives. She instead opted for clenching her hands together.

"Look Maka-chan," Blair began in full lecture-mode, "You put it on like this..."

Maka couldn't avert her eyes from this grotesque scene as Blair buckled the strap-on around her hips, leaving her with a pink make-shift penis dangling from her crotch. Again, Maka didn't know what to say or if it was even appropriate to say anything. Maybe she should applaud Blair, maybe she should whistle and exclaim her amazement.

Never.

Questioning amber eyes diverted her attention from the pink monstrosity. Maka parted her lips, a question at the tip of her tongue, "And?"

Blair blinked and made a quizzical tilt of her head. "What do you mean?"

She sighed, took a deep breath and tried to collect her thoughts to voice them coherently. "So you are telling me to put that...thing on but what am I supposed to do with it? I...I don't need a fake penis."

"You're not very creative." Blair shook her head dejectedly, heaving an over-dramatic sigh. "I thought I had prepared you well but you have still so much to learn. But don't worry! I'll always help you!"

She gritted her teeth. "Thanks. Can you get to the point already?"

"Isn't it obvious? You put it on and satisfy Soul-kun!"

Maka gasped, her eyes growing wider and wider with each vivid image popping into her mind as her thick brain finally registered the possibilities of the strap-on. "Wait! I don't think Soul would like that! I mean...I wouldn't ever-"

"So you wouldn't enjoy to see Soul-kun getting it up the a-"

"Shut up! Not so loud! He'll hear you."

"So?" Blair shrugged, yanking crudely at the pink, fake penis making it wobble. She put her hands on her hips, her lips curling into a cheeky grin.

* * *

It was like watching a plane crash in slow motion. There was no way stopping it. The door opened, she stood up from the bed, spotted Soul, saw his eyes widening to the size of saucer plates, her own eyes widened as well as they followed the route of his.

No, no, no, no, nonononononononononononono!

This could not be happening! How could she have missed that one! She had been so sure she had put all of these...things away. Yet there on her desk, right under her lamp was it in all its colorful and ribbed glory.

Time came to a standstill, all air was sucked from her lungs as Soul grabbed it! Why? Why was this happening? She had had put all of them away, she was certain. How...why...oh fuck! Had Blair left it there without her noticing it because she hadn't wanted to pay attention to the feline.

It didn't matter now. Nothing mattered. It didn't matter if Blair wanted to play a particularly cruel prank on them or if Maka had indeed forgotten about it. Soul was standing by her desk with the penis sleeve in his grasp.

Maka wanted to crawl under her bed and die.

Soul's gaze rose from the toy in his hand to meet her aghast one. Never had she seen his eyes on such a vulnerable display, never had she seen him so close to revealing his hurt feelings with just a simple glance of his, his eyes not guarded like usual.

Maka wanted to crawl under her bed and die and be revived and die again. Before she had the chance to rethink it, her lips already had parted and words came tumbling out of her mouth, "Soul! I...I...I can to-totally explain!"

Her fingers dug into her skirt, her eyes were wide and apprehensive and her breaths came out fast and shallow.

Soul's mouth opened and closed. Second and minutes that ticked away felt like hours to her. And then he broke their eye-contact, dejectedly looking at the floor. "I understand. You-you really think my dick is small. But you didn't have to get me this!" He held the toy out in front of him, his brows furrowed lightly as if he didn't have the will to glare anymore. "This is...one of those extension things...right?"

Maka gulped, the knot in her throat refusing to vanish and making human speech nearly impossible. If she messed this up it would be no surprise when Soul refused to talk to her. She needed to set this straight. Right now!

"Blair!" She yelled, causing him to flinch. "I mean...Blair go that...thing! And I didn't ask for it. She just came into my room with all this stupid stuff. I have nothing to do with it."

It was fascinating to witness the changing of expressions on his face: going from horror to calmness to confusion.

"You mean that?"

"Of course!"

"Oh." He let the atrocity in his hand fall down without a care in the world. Not that she cared either. He took a deep breath. "Maka, I'm sorry for making fun of you."

"I am sorry too. I shouldn't have said that...your ...uh...that your penis is small."

"My penis isn't small."

"No, it isn't."

He grinned despite the awkwardness but quickly caught himself and reined his emotions in. "Uh...let's agree on name-calling isn't cool."

"No, it isn't. And I'm really sorry, Soul."

"It's okay. Besides I don't have a small dick."

Her eyes narrowed. Was the size of a man's penis really that pivotal to his self-esteem? Considering how self-conscious she always got when she was teased about her small breasts, she could oh so understand him and feel with him. This was why she promptly decided to cheer him up: "And even if you had a small penis, it wouldn't matter! I mean it is about how you ...use it. Not that I know how you use it and...and..."

Her attempt at cheering him up had sounded much better in her head. She shouldn't try this anymore. She sucked at it. Lately, she seemed to suck at a lot of things...including Soul's-

What the...there was no hope for the depravity of her mind.

Being confronted with Soul's frown hadn't been her plan either. Another failure more to add to the increasing list of many. She sighed, giving him a tired look. "I should stop talking huh?"

His lips twitched and he managed a wry smile, "Maybe. You sometimes talk too much."

"Sorry."

"Stop apologizing."

"O-okay."

Cue more awkwardness.

Getting fed up with the whole situation, Maka with a timid glance at him spoke up: "Soul? Do you want to...you know...uh make out?"

It was a funny sight to see him choking on his own spit.

* * *

Well this went better than expected. Much better than she had expected.

She hissed his name as his teeth found a sensitive spot on her neck and wasted no time to make use of his find to reduce her capability of speech into soft sighs, moans and gasps.

She hadn't believed they could have ended up half naked in bed so soon after having insulted the other's alleged bodily shortcomings. Their clothes except for their underwear was strewn all over her room in their haze of lust and need to do something if only to break the silence that liked to take them into its hold far too often.

Her bra came off without her really noticing it, though she didn't give a fuck when his mouth was on one breast, teasing and playing with the pert nipple and his hand was groping her other. Her eyes slid shut and her lips parted to release a moan. She was never going to get enough of this, of him. The mere reckless thought of deeming their physical relationship inappropriate and idiotic seemed incredibly stupid in its entirety.

She couldn't imagine herself going on with life like normal, couldn't imagine living without Soul's touch, without his fingers grazing her ticklish sides, without his mouth hot against her flushing skin, without his tongue making her lose her sanity with just the merest of a flick, without his fingers moving fluidly and smoothly within her making her release the lewdest of noises, without him sneakily discarding her wet panties to leave her completely nude in front of his eyes as he did right now.

Her body was racked with shivers and shudders when Soul displayed the skills of his tongue. Her fingers buried in his soft hair, she whimpered pitifully, her voice squeaky and desperate as her partner eagerly licked around her clit and spread her folds to take all of her.

"Soul..." her voice was hoarse and heavy.

She willed her arms to move, tugging weakly at his hair and Soul immediately obliged her silent request and let her pull him to her face. Their lips met heatedly, their tongues tangling and moving in a passionate dance.

"Soul," she rasped against his mouth, trying to form a proper thought, trying to word that thought but Soul's hands and touch made it nearly impossible...but...oh, his finger rubbing her clit felt so good. When had he gotten rid of her panties in the first place? Did it matter? Damn it. No. She needed to focus. What was it again? Right, she remembered again. She parted her lips, her eyes cloudy and her head and further brain functions dulled by the hazy mist of lust, "S-soul." She pushed against his shoulders with her palms, her arms shaking and her breaths coming out in flat gasps.

"What?" She bit back a whimper at his desperate voice, at the husky, deep timbre, which managed to turn her on as much as his nimble fingers working against her wet heat.

"Y-you...you...got c-condoms, right?"

Soul froze. This time she did whimper at the loss of action and unconsciously bucked her hips against his unmoving hand. When she looked into his eyes and caught the incredulous expression in them, she felt herself being pulled back to reality, her judgment not clouded over by lust and excitement and Soul. She gasped, mortified at her blunt words.

"Maka? How do you know? And, and why?"

She gulped and hid her face in the crook of his neck, under the delusion that it would disperse the growing roots of her humiliation. "Blair. She told me."

He blinked, his mouth pulled into a thin contemplative line before he spoke again. "Does this mean that, that you...you want to have sex?"

She let out a little squeak and screwed her eyes shut, the sensation of his skin against hers, his breaths brushing the shell of her ear, his fingers anxiously tapping against her hipbone all intensified by that simple act. Taking a deep breath she nodded against him, feeling him tense up.

"Yes," she added just to be sure he understood.

"Uh...okay. I...err...I'll go get the condoms then, okay?" He slowly pulled himself up and stood up, oddly wobbling to the door. "Wait for me...I mean...I'll be right back, I mean...I...uh...shit! I'll just get them."

Maka wrapped her arms around her nude body, feeling cold from the loss of contact, wanting to feel his warmth again. The time Soul took from fetching the condoms to coming back felt like hours to her but in truth he couldn't have been away longer than a few minutes.

Her ears seemed to be extra attentive. She could hear his faint curses, the padding of his feet and the slight creaking of her door when he pushed against it. She bit her lip, her heart pounding heavily in her chest, her brain trying to process what was going to happen. Her breath hitched when he knelt on the mattress, which shifted with his added weight. Her curious eyes were instantly drawn to the rectangular package in his hand. He put it hesitantly onto the dresser next to the bed.

Breathing properly turned into a difficult feat with him being so close to her, with the realization that they were going to have sex and that she really wanted it, wanted him with such intensity, that her desire was welling and threatening to consume her wholly, overwhelming her senses.

He shyly brushed against her arm, his gaze heavy-lidded, full with nervousness and want. And her heart fluttered and pounded and hammered and she feared it was going to burst out of her chest, her weak human body unable to bear it anymore.

They were more attuned to each other now so that when he leaned forward with his chest pressing against hers, she automatically leaned back until she was lying again and could relish in his hot skin rubbing against hers. She sucked in a deep breath, her blood rushing through her veins with immense force, roaring in her ears drowning everything out aside from everything that was Soul.

Compared to their desperate and hasty and needy touches from before, they were surprisingly slow. At least Soul was and Maka simply followed his example. This was strange and different. This willing handing over of control. She usually liked to take charge, liked to make him squirm and pant and moan and call her name, liked to tell him what to do but now even if she wanted it to be different, her mouth wouldn't cooperate with her.

His gentleness was killing her. Everything he did was gentle: the way he ran a single finger over her thigh, the way he caressed her hair, even the way he looked at her was gentle. Her senses became hypersensitive to everything he did and didn't do: his harsh breath against her sweaty skin, every press, touch and graze of his hands that had the small hairs on her arms rise and goose bumps appear instead, the tips of his hair teasing and tickling her neck and shoulder as he tenderly suckled on her pulse, the hard gulp and hiss that followed closely when her knee softly brushed against his sensitive arousal.

The heat was unbearable, coiling and gathering in the pit of her stomach, seemingly igniting her whole body. Her fingers felt as if they were on fire though no pain accompanied the burning sensation. She needed him, she wanted him. So much. Her body called out for him, spelling its desperate desire for him with these reactions.

She rubbed her crotch against his straining erection, frantically seeking friction with impatient whines. She pulled his face down and kissed and licked his lips with vigor, her hand traveling a slow oath down his back, enjoying the flexing of muscles, and firmly gripped his rear before she tugged at his boxers.

He released her for a slight moment to take his underwear off but even that was too long of a time to be unconnected to him, her voice already calling out to him. She bit her lip roughly, her eyes roaming up and down his tantalizing body. He crawled over to her, their hands instantly latching at each others' skin, exploring and caressing and stroking.

"Soul," she gasped. Words she hadn't really thought about toppled out of her mouth before she could do something about them, "Are you sure...you want this?"

There was a minuscule pause, which was followed by deep chuckles and it felt like her heart had skipped more than the traditional 'beat'. She held in a gasp and closed her eyes, the sensations overwhelming her.

"Isn't that supposed to be my line?"

Her eyes shot open to meet his smoldering gaze, which she was unable to hold for more than a few seconds before she glanced to the side and inadvertently at the small package of condoms on top of her nightstand.

"Maka?" His voice drew her out of her inner contemplation. She was met with his affectionate smile and an expression in the depths of his eyes she couldn't quite place yet it made her chest flutter and her body ache for him even more. "I want you but what about you? Do you want this? Are you sure? I mean we can stop whenever you want, I'd totally understand. I don't want you to feel un-"

She slapped her hand lightly against his mouth, cutting his steadily more nervous rambling off with a gentle smile. Her hand moved, came to rest on his cheek to pet him there.

"Don't worry about me, Soul. I'm sure about this."

They held each others' gaze, emotions - ranging from lust, desire, anxiousness, nervousness and several others some of which neither could name at the moment – flashing in all their intensity and making words unnecessary for that moment to understand the other. Alas, the moment didn't last long and they were back to being a mixture of affectionate and awkward.

"So...uh...maybe you should put a condom on." Her voice was incredibly squeaky. She pressed her lips tightly together, embarrassed and self-conscious.

"Uh...yes. I should, I guess." He didn't squeak for which she was glad but he didn't sound any more confident than she had.

She propped herself on her elbows and watched his every move with unbridled nervousness and excitement at the same time. His hand was shaking when he fumbled with the small box. He cussed and hissed incoherent profanities under his breath until he finally managed to open the box. He seemed at a loss of what to do afterward, taking a square package, his eyes growing wide. She resisted the urge to tell him to get on with it already. It wouldn't do them any good and she doubted she would have been any better in his position.

Soul's moment of utter cluelessness lasted only for a second yet the apprehension had her limbs quivering and her fingers dig deeply into the mattress underneath her. He carefully tore the package open and wasted no time to roll the condom on his shaft.

Her breath hitched and she forced herself to stay calm. Nothing good would come out of it if she tensed up or anything. She lay down, Soul coming with her and they kissed each other tenderly, the seriousness of the situation dawning on them and slowing their movements to soft caresses and almost loving touches. There were no frantic kisses now, no desperate cries, no impatient pleas to be quick.

"You ready?"

She nodded. "Ye-"

Her answer was strangled by his fingers brushing against her wet folds. She unconsciously spread her legs farther apart, allowing him to settle between her thighs more comfortably.

"What was that?"

"I said 'yes'."

"O-okay then."

She held her breath, the anticipation nearly stripping her of her sanity. She whimpered pitifully when his dick poked the inside of her thigh and bumped slightly against her folds.

"Mmh...Soul, stop teasing me. Just do it."

"I...I'm not teasing you. I...I..."

She blinked, confused and nervous and happy and scared and glad all at once. He looked distressed and she wasn't sure if she wanted to know why. She couldn't see what he was doing there from her lying position, she raised her head a little. "Soul?"

She only caught sight of him gripping his dick before she gave up and plopped down again.

"I got it!"

"Huh?"

She mewled when she felt his tip slightly push against her opening. He paused, pointedly looking into her eyes, his own full own question, still asking for her permission even though she had given it to him, still unsure of what to do.

She squeezed his hand comfortingly and smiled with a nod. His hand squeezed back and for a moment she felt her nervousness subside, assured by his gesture. She was a little scared, she hoped it wasn't going to hurt, she hoped it was going to feel good even though she had read more often than not that first times usually aren't all that pleasant. She tried to remain as relaxed as possible as Soul slowly – so painstakingly slow – pushed inside her.

He stopped to always make sure if she was alright, if she was in pain. There was no pain but a lot of discomfort, it felt odd but she was still gasping and trying to work out through these sensations on..._in_ her body. She didn't know what to do! Was she supposed to do something at all? He wasn't even all the way in and she didn't know how to deal with this. It felt good, it felt odd, it was amazing, it was frightening to a degree.

She softly called out his name and it made him immediately stop again. He asked her if it hurt in that deeply rumbling voice of his that send shivers down her spine and made her gasp for breath because breathing seemed impossible right now. She shook her head and prompted him to continue even moving her own hips. She didn't know how it happened, how it was physically possible that he fit entirely into her small body but when he was all the way in they both breathed heavy sighs of relief.

Despite the physical discomfort, despite the awkwardness, none of it mattered when she looked into his eyes. There was that gentleness again and it made her skin burn for him, a pleasant warmth spreading through her body. Her breath caught in her throat as his face got closer and he kissed her softly. Her heavy limbs soon started to move, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, relishing in the way his chest pressed against hers without crushing her, his quick heartbeat giving her comfort, his arms embracing her, making her feel save and...cherished.

He nuzzled her neck and whispered against her ear. She didn't catch most of it, only fragments, words of awe, expressing how warm, tight and amazing she felt. Hearing him utter such blatant praise left her confused and her limbs all jittery yet it wasn't unwelcome at all.

"Maka? Can I...can I move?"

A nod was all she managed. She felt his lips press against her temple before he slowly pulled out of her, making her gasp and dig her nails into his shoulder blades. Damn it. It felt weird being stretched out and filled like this, using muscles she had never had to use before at least not to such extent. His or her fingers couldn't compare to this. She hoped it was going to feel better when they were more accustomed to this. She whimpered quietly and buried her face in the crook of his neck, taking in his scent and seeking comfort in his soothing embrace.

He moved with utmost gentleness, his thrusts careful and inexperienced. She held onto him for dear life, trying to muffle the noises of discomfort she made. She didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable and she knew he was holding himself back. The straining muscles in his arms were a dead giveaway as was his tense jaw and the groans and grunts he tried to hide from her. She hoped he was feeling good.

Even if she wasn't exactly experiencing pleasure and even though his haphazard thrusts didn't cause a familiar pressure to build up in her stomach that was waiting be released, like his fingers usually did, Maka was far too overwhelmed by being joined with him like this to be bothered by it much. He was her partner, her friend...her lover and she would have never wanted her first time to be with anyone else. Her trust in him was limitless and the way he treated her now, taking more care of her well-being than concentrating on his pleasure only enforced her feelings.

Her head hit the pillow with a particular thrust that made her release a moan. It was starting to feel good...slightly and she tentatively moved her hips to meet his thrusts, urging him quietly to move a bit more forcefully. Her responded by wrapping her legs around his hips and rammed into her from a different angle.

"Ah! S-Soul...n-not so rough!"

"Aw shit. Sorry! I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. Just...be careful, okay?"

He nodded, glancing away dejectedly. She bit her lip and nudged his face with her palm. She wanted to look him in the eyes when they were doing this. Giving him a smile, which she hoped was encouraging, she bucked her hips against his, drawing gasps from both of them. She mewled and tightened the grip of her legs around him, throwing her head to the side as he steadily pumped in and out of her.

Even though she was enjoying it more, there was still some unpleasantness accompanying his thrusts. It didn't matter to her though. There was no way to describe it. To be with Soul like this. Having him panting above her, his shaky hands caressing her cheek, her neck, her breasts in order to try to make her feel better. Her back arched when his finger brushed against her clit, the familiar pleasure was welcome and odd with the slight ache being not too far away.

Her lips parted, releasing a harsh breath and his name as a moan. She thought her heart was pounding before, thought the blood couldn't go faster through her veins but when his smoldering gaze took in her body and made contact with her heavy-lidded eyes and his thrusts tentatively picked up in speed and force, Maka feared that she was going to die from heart failure. He was so deep and hard and smooth. She bit her lip, only to have a strangled sigh pass between her teeth. Her body trembled but she didn't know if it was from pleasure or discomfort or both. She didn't know how to handle these sensations, didn't know how to deal with his tongue lapping at a collarbone even though he had done it before often enough. Everything felt new yet familiar. Everything else they had done before could never measure up to this, before this they had been just fooling around but this...this was...different and there were no words she could think of to describe it. This deepest of physical connections was-

Already over.

One moment she is sort of relishing in the pleasant aspects of having sex for the first time with her partner and semi-philosophizing about it to boot, and in the next moment he groaned loudly and she felt him throbbing inside of her and then his quivering arms gave out and he was lying top of her, his chest squashing hers and his searing pants tickling her ear.

She blinked, her hands squeezing Soul's shoulders as he was trying to catch his breath. She wasn't as exhausted and out of breath as he was and that gave her the time to be mostly confused. She didn't know how long they lay together like that with her mind being completely blank. Just what was one supposed to feel after the first time sex? Elation? She wasn't sure if she felt elated, she wasn't sure how to classify her emotions right now.

Soul stirred, heaving himself up with one arm. He briefly glanced down at her and hastily mumbled something about condoms before he proceeded to pull his dick out of her, eliciting a surprised gasp from her. "Uh sorry", was all she heard before he stood up and left her room. Maka blinked again. Slowly her cloudy mind was catching up with the happenings. Before she could however curse Soul to hell and back for leaving her, he was back and at her questioning half-glare he mumbled, "I...uh had to _throwthecondomaway_."

"Oh, right."

"Yeah."

He seated himself on the bed and she was quite aware of his greedy eyes staring her nude, _not-virgin_ body up and down. Her eyes widened slightly. She had just lost her virginity! To Soul! Her partner and friend and was really at ease with it...even though the sex had been kind of short if she really thought about it.

She didn't like the way he seemed to avoid her even though they were lying next to each other. She scowled. This was her fault. She had been the one to come up with the 'no cuddling rule' he was probably afraid of overstepping some boundary.

"You didn't get to finish," he muttered so quietly that she almost missed his words.

She was about to ask what he meant before she understood and her cheeks promptly reddened. "Oh, don't worry about me."

"But...but...I sucked. What kind of uncool guy finishes before the girl?"

"That's not true! It's okay, Soul." She turned to her side, facing him. She was lying on his stomach, his head and most of his face buried in the pillow underneath him. It made her heart clench to actually see him look so guilty. "I kinda expected it actually."

"You expected me to suck?"

Everything came to a screeching halt.

"What? No! I...I didn't mean to make it come out that way. I mean...most first times are awkward and painful for the girl."

"I hurt you?"

"No! No, you didn't." She put on the best smile she could muster and sat up, taking a loose hold of his hand. She felt slightly reassured when he squeezed her own. She hadn't maybe totally ruined everything between them. She inhaled deeply, shutting her eyes for a moment to collect her thoughts, and then continued. "I think we just need a bit more practice. Remember how we first started out. We couldn't even get a simple kiss right."

He groaned loudly. "Don't remind me."

"Sorry." She giggled, uneasily scratching her head and wondering if she should _just stop talking_. "But Soul." He raised his head from the pillow and gave her his full attention. "I really enjoyed it. And I am glad it was with you."

She could feel a renewed blush consuming her skin with its uncomfortable heat but she resisted the urge to look away because this was important. She wondered for a moment if she should have made such an...intimate proclamation if she insisted on their relationship being a strictly physical one, wondered if it was okay that her heart leaped and fluttered in her chest at his warm smile, wondered why she didn't resist when he pulled her down into a hug, wondered why she didn't stop the cuddling.

She was hypocrite yet she didn't have it in her to stop it.

In the end, she decided that she didn't care, didn't care being with Soul like this.

And it scared her.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the long delay guys. I will try to be quicker with the next update. I hope this chapter was to your liking as they have finally boinked! Yay!


	9. Of fun vacations

**Chapter Nine **

**Of fun vacations, beaches and childhood friends**

Soul grinned widely as he breathed in deeply through his nose, enjoying the fresh, warm breeze and the distinct smell of salt water and algae. He hadn't been on the beach for a very long time. He vaguely recalled a few family trips here and there but quickly pushed the memories away. Being friends with Shinigami's son had its merits. At this moment Soul forgot the traumatic moments of Kid throwing a temper tantrum over his "atrociously asymmetric" hair, forgot the day Kid had chased after him with a pair of dangerously glinting scissors, following him from classroom to classroom, from corridor to corridor, from the guy's restroom to the girl's restroom in order to give him a proper haircut and all that with a matching deranged look akin to a hunter being infected by rabies.

He briefly glanced at his meister from the corners of his eyes, smiling to himself at the happy expression on her pretty face. He quickly retracted his gaze to their luggage because as of late – since they had made lo- had sex – he always found himself staring at Maka forelornly like a lovestruck teenager. He refused to draw the conclusion that forlorn, lovestruck teenager applied to him perfectly in this case.

With little effort they had their stuff all ready to go. Kid spoke a few grateful words to the driver before he picked his own speckless valise up, leading the short path to the awaiting, grandiose villa. Soul had to admit that seeing that looming, grand, white beach villa ahead brought up another wave of memories with his parents and his brother. His good mood dwindled second by second until he was on the verge of regretting coming here. Neither the nice scenery, the gentle waves of the ocean, the pleasant warmth of the sun, nor Maka's playful nudge against his ribs could lift his mood. Well, maybe the latter, as could her nice smile and her giddy eyes; other than that there wasn't much help for his mood.

It was stupid that things in the past affected him so drastically. He had to get a better grip on his emotions, damn it!

Things only got worse from then on though. The group entered the villa with booming yells, content shouts and gleeful cheers, Soul trudging somberly behind them, only Maka halting to shoot him a concerned glance over her shoulder. He shrugged noncommittally, giving her a half-smile to ease her suspicions. The last thing he needed was Maka being dragged down by his wavering mood because he happened to recall times he had spent with the family he had left. Something that felt like ages ago.

Suffice to say, the grand piano in the left corner of the nicely furnished living room did not help him and his resurfacing memories at all. He grimaced and leisurely sauntered towards the stairs and called over his shoulder, catching the attention of his loud friends: "Where are we gonna sleep?"

"I take the master bedroom!" Liz shouted, pumping her fist determinedly into the air.

"Hell no! The master room can only befit someone as awesome as me." Of course, Black*Star couldn't be far off when it came to getting the best stuff for him and only him.

And thus begun their scuffle for the room. Soul sighed. This wasn't what he had hoped for. Thanks to Liz's and Black*Star's stubbornness that rivaled that of two bitchy mules, it took them longer to get settled.

He was too lazy at the moment to unpack all of his stuff so he let more than the half of it remain in his duffel bag. He went downstairs to the extravagant living room that managed to look both gaudy and classy at the same time. He didn't know how this was possible. He suspected it having to do something with Shinigami-sama's eccentricity.

His eyes were immediately drawn to the piano again. Despite the mixed feelings in his stomach and the heavy scowl on his face, his feet brought him right in front of it. He stroked its lid with an impassive hand, eyes becoming vacant and lost in memories, fond and unpleasant ones. It was odd. How could someone's fingers itch with the want to play this instrument yet at the same time burn with the urge to recoil all at once from it?

He sighed heavily. He had to admit he sometimes missed-

"Soul?"

He gasped and withdrew his hand from the wretched instrument instantly, turning around to come face to face with Maka.

"Uh hey," he mumbled inelegantly, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his shorts, his brows furrowing in frustration at getting distracted by the piano so much that he forgot his surroundings entirely. Maka glanced uncertainly from the instrument to Soul, a question definitely on the tip of her tongue. Yet before she had the chance to verbalize it, he had already turned away from her, his voice filling the silence in the room: "Where are the others? They're taking too long to unpack their shit."

He was pleased to see how the curiosity on her face managed to make way for mild irritation.

"Language, Soul."

He scoffed, his lips curling into a grin. "So what are we gonna do today?"

She blinked, her head tilting to the side and her finger tapping absentmindedly against the curve of her chin. "Uh, I think first and foremost, we're going to the beach." She smiled widely, causing his grin to get bigger as well.

"Heh. So predictable."

"We are in Malibu, Soul! What else would we be doing?"

"I dunno."

"You're weird."

"Coming from you, I dunno..."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're far weirder than I am. What with you reading at the speed of light, being an all- around nerd, still wearing pigtails and being so uptight..."

"Hey!"

He chuckled to himself, waving a hand dismissively at her indignation. "Nah, I'm just kidding." She relaxed, her squared shoulders sagging and her eyes losing the outraged glint, which he had once come to associate with an impending Maka-Chop. Thankfully, that was in the past now. He didn't know if it was the lack of the threat of a violently utilized book or simply because he just loved to tease her but he couldn't keep his mouth shut: "Well, mostly. I mean you are a bookworm and nerd and wear pigtails...but you aren't uptight, not at all."

He took a few steps forward making her inch back. He grazed her bared arm, taking delight in her shudder and the goosebumps rising on her skin. He smirked haughtily, closing nearly the entire space between their bodies as he leaned in, his breath feathering her lips lightly.

"S-soul?"

They could be quarreling in one moment and be lost in each other at the next. It still amazed him how he couldn't keep his desire in check when he was around her. They hadn't been doing it for long but sex had ceased being something completely new for them yet he could never get enough of her. His lips were only pressed against hers for the barest of a second before she pushed against his chest, causing their faint lip-lock to break.

"Are you stupid?" she whispered harshly, pushing him further away from her, making his heart clench in a most unpleasant way. "The others are about to come down. They're gonna see us!"

He scowled down at her, masking his hurt feelings by a look of grouchy irritation. He didn't like feeling this way. He shouldn't be feeling this way, what with them having agreed on some ground rules about this...clandestine thing they had going on.

He turned away with an annoyed "Whatever", the rejection burning a deep hole into his ego.

"Soul...I-"

Whatever she wanted to say, she didn't get the chance to as a very loud and very boisterous exclamation seemed to envelop the whole house. Black*Star was running down the stairs, clad only in his swimming trunks, a shit-eating grin on his face and closely followed by an equally shit-eatingly grinning Patti.

"Yo Soul! What are you waiting for?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"To the beach we go, I say!"

"..."

"Hell yeah!" Patti pumped her fist into the air merrily. Soul's mouth curled into a faint grin. Their good mood was kind of contagious. It was times like these that made him aware of why this felt like _family_. He had never felt this way with his parents and brother.

As Maka clutched his arm, smiling brightly at him, he couldn't help but wonder if he was judging his past a bit unfairly.

* * *

Sprawled out on a large towel, the rays of the sun softly caressing his skin, eyes closed and body relaxed to mellow tones: the sweet sound of the saxophone, the soft hiss of cymbals; Soul was lulled into a lazy state of drowsiness.

He could faintly hear Black*Star's cackling, even though he had the volume on its loudest.

"There!"

Black*Star was like a tornado on the beach, raising dust after him and carelessly getting some of it on Liz as she was enjoying her tanning session.

"Stop it, you dimwit!"

"Sorry, Liz. I can't lay around like you even if we're on vacation. Gotta always stay in shape."

Liz growled and threw her bottle of sunblock against his head, making him curse and spit threats at her. She just smirked, nonplussed and pleased, and casually put her sunglasses back on, throwing her hair back and laying down again with a sigh.  
"Oi, Liz! Don't ignore me! You can't-"

And Liz was back to her world of what Soul presumed was happy jazz and a definite lack of Black*Star, as she put her headphones back on.

He glanced at Maka, who briefly glowered at Black*Star and shook her head disapprovingly, before she turned her attention back to her book. He smiled. Typical. Maka would never waste an opportunity to read.

Soul was glad for the change of pace. It was nice spending time with the group; it was fun and relaxi-

"OW! Motherfucker!

Well, it was relaxing when Black*Star wasn't louder than usual.

"What did that idiot do now?" Maka grumbled to herself, brows furrowed.

"Hell, if I know."

"That little bastard pinched me!"

Huh?

Patti had joined Black*Star's side, laughing at the assassin's misfortune. His eyes flashed dangerously as Patti scooped a little something in her palm, cooing softly at its cuteness. Soul blinked and looked more closely. Oh.

"I think he got pinched by a crab."

Maka rolled her eyes but giggled despite herself. "Serves him right."

He chuckled and leisurely turned his body to lie on his stomach, putting the ear bud back into his ear. He sighed at the the warmth hitting his neck and back. He cushioned his head on his arms, angled so he had the perfect view on Maka. The past weeks had been very nice with her and he wondered if there was a chance they could slip away to have some fun.

He sighed. Better not to risk their friends finding out. He could live a few days without sex but it did make him wonder how the hell he had managed not to notice her before. Lately he really seemed incapable of keeping his hands to himself, her skin was always calling out for him. He loved its smoothness, loved how sensitive it was, always enjoying it when his touch made goose bumps rise. She had an amazing body, beautiful and perfect. He loved the feeling of hard, trained muscles beneath the softest skin, loved how he could make her tremble and gasp. The hazy look in her pretty green eyes drove him crazy, the way her mouth parted to...to-

Bad.

If he continued to lose himself in his fantasies, he was going to end up with a boner in public with his friends nearby. He hissed, trying to think of the unsexiest things he could. Black*Star covering his man-boobs with starfishes and enacting a silly slow-motion run was one option.

Wait.

That was not something his over-imaginative mind had concocted. It was actually happening. Soul pulled his sunglasses down just slightly to be sure he really wasn't imagining things. Nope. There he was: Black*Star running towards them with starfish plastered on his ...moobs.

"Yo, Bookworm! Soul."

Maka's brows furrowed suspiciously as her childhood friend approached her with a big grin on his face. Her eyes strayed briefly to his starfish covered chest before she looked at his face again.

"Black*Star, what are you doing?"

"Trying to get you off your lazy asses, that's what. Come on! My team against yours like in old times."

Maka blinked. "You want to play dodge ball?"

He nodded. "Yes! And see how I can pawn your scrawny ass even now."

"Pawn me? You never really won back then!" She put her book to the side, not giving it a second glance, not even marking the page she had stopped reading. Soul watched their interaction with growing...something. He had no idea what. Curiosity? Yep definitely that and maybe something else.

"Did too. I threw the ball so hard at you that you ended up in the water."

"That was not because you threw a ball at me but because you chased me into the water, throwing jellyfishes at me! And one was a lion's mane jellyfish."

He rubbed the back of his neck, scowling lightly, muttering, "That bastard burned my hands," and then his grin was back, "But Maka you forgot that we learned to swim after that."

He bumped her shoulder with his, causing Soul involuntarily to curl his fingers into the soft sand. Maka harrumphed, giving Black*Star a haughty look before she mumbled, "Papa made us because we almost drowned thanks to you."

Soul blinked and Black*Star coughed and glanced around, checking if anyone heard Maka's words, eyes narrowed suspiciously. Soul closed his eyes, looking perfectly like some aloof, indifferent person who was just relaxing on the beach. He was not in the mood to deal with Black*Star's ego right now but it didn't mean he wouldn't listen to their conversation further. "Well, those were the times when my godhood was premature. I'd never do something like that again and you know this the best, Maka," he said in a hushed voice and Soul risked to open his right eye to watch them. His muscles tensed when he saw how close he was leaning in to Maka. "And I did come after you and tried to save you," he said, lips curling into a wry grin as he pumped his fist into the air, kind of failing at looking proud. If Soul wanted to be honest, Black*Star seemed to look a little uneasy...and embarrassed maybe.

Maka looked unimpressed. "Yeah and you almost ended up drowning too. Papa was so mad at you."

Black*Star's eyes narrowed into a glare, teeth gritted. "Don't remind me. He blew up at me pretty bad. It was totally undeserved. I was trying to save you like the hero I am."

"Yes, yes." She waved her hand dismissively. "You were so heroic that papa didn't want to take you to the beach ever again."

He crossed his arms over his chest, huffing like a petulant child. It was in that moment that Soul objectively noticed that Black*Star was very buff. It was a realization like "The sky is blue" or "The sun is hot." Black*Star had always been physically fit. He wondered if Maka liked that. He frowned. He was worrying about things he shouldn't be worrying about. So what if he wasn't as fit as his best friend? So what if his best friend and his partner were childhood friends and had a history together. It shouldn't bother him.

It DIDN'T bother him. At all.

Besides Maka had already admitted that he was the only person, she'd ever consider getting intimate with. There was nothing to worry about. Not that he was worrying.

"Your mom was worse than your dad. Seriously."

Maka smacked his arm lightly. "Hey, don't talk like that about Mama."

"Just stating the truth. She was like a dragon." He shuddered.

"She was angry with you because we almost ended up drowning!"

"Hey, didn't I already suffer enough? There was no need to yell at me like that."

"Well...okay, Mama could be very scary."

"Damn right! Do you remember when we were climbing that tree in the park?"

"...I do."

"She looked ready to hit me! It wasn't like I forced you to come with me."

Maka sighed, eyes lighting up with memories as a small smile slipped on her face. She laughed a little, punching Black*Star lightly and playfully against his bicep. "She was worried that we might fall down. We did some pretty stupid things together back then."

Soul squirmed uneasily on the spot. He was so uncool. He had even turned the volume of his ipod down so he could listen in to their conversation more closely like some creep.

Black*Star grinned. "Yeah, you used to be less bossy and upright, too."

"Hey!" She scowled. "And you used to be less stupid. What happened? Did you fall out of too many trees?"

"Heh, as if. I wasn't clumsy like you."

"For your information, I never fell out off any trees either."

Black*Star snickered crudely. "Nope. Just climbed them in your pink fluffy dresses, flashing me your_ pumpkin panties_."

Soul choked back a chortle, lips twitching slightly. Maka flushed brightly, lips parting to release an enraged gasp. "Black*Star!"

"What?" He mockingly raised the pitch of his voice, dodging a sloppily aimed slap against the side of his head. He laughed boisterously and broke out into a run when Maka stood up, glaring heatedly at him. She seemed to have forgotten their friends who were enjoying the sun on their skin and lazying around as she mindlessly chased after Black*Star.

The splashes of water were loud as they ran into the small waves nearly at the same time. Soul could only watch dumbly as they wrestled in the water and flinch and growl to himself whenever Black*Star grabbed her, which was every two seconds. He never really thought about it since Black*Star and Maka never spent much time together and he usually pissed her off before Soul ever had the chance to fully realize that they were _close_.

Not that he minded. It would be totally not cool to hate the fact that they were good friends. He clenched his fists when Black*Star pulled Maka over his shoulder with only one arm, making her squeal and punch him half-heartedly on the back. Black*Star's tanned arm was a stark contrast to Maka's much lighter skin. The skin he loved to touch, the skin he thought he was the only one who touched. He swallowed hard, narrowed eyes never straying away from them, fooling around like little kids. With a big grin and an annoying holler that nearly made his ears bleed, Black*Star dunked them both into the water, Maka's gurgling laughter resounding in his ears.

The moment Black*Star resurfaced Maka didn't waste any time to throw her slim weight against him, her hands pushing against his head, making his arms flail clumsily as he fell into the water backwards. In a last-ditch effort he grabbed her elbow tearing her down successfully, her chest pressing against his. She screamed something like "Stupid Black-" before the collision with the water cut her cry off.

Suddenly the sunlight against his skin felt too hot, the towel too uncomfortable, too scratchy, the music blaring annoyingly into his ears. Soul really wanted to ignore it. Wanted to ignore this annoying feeling that seemed to be gnawing at his heart. He refused to name what it was because it was dangerous. Dangerous as in it could very well be something that they might have deemed as "things getting out of hand" a month ago when they had agreed to keep their relationship strictly physical and decided on some vague ground rules for it.

He shouldn't watch them fooling around like some creepy voyeur in the first place if he wanted to fight this feeling. But he was unable to tear his gaze away from the sight and the feeling to irrationally punch Black*Star grew. He shook his head and turned to the person who was the closest to him, Liz.

"Hey, Liz. I'm going back," he said, trying to keep his voice as neutral as possible.

She pulled her sunglasses down a little, looking at him with raised eyebrows over the rim of the brown-tinged glasses. "Hah? Why? We just got here."

He frowned, slightly annoyed that she couldn't just accept it and not question him about it. "Not feeling well."

She stared at him a bit more, questions dancing in her eyes but then she sighed and smirked. "Okay. I'll tell the others when they start to miss you."

He forced a grin on his face, gathered his towel in a messy pile, not bothering to get the sand off of it and waved at her lazily. He made sure to quicken his gait, the sound of their laughter grating on his nerves.

* * *

He was a total loser.

He had really left the beach and was now moping for stupid reasons. He wanted to smack himself but feared that it wouldn't speak highly of his sanity if he did that. And here he was sitting all by himself in the kitchen and had been staring blankly ahead for the last fifteen minutes.

He had to sort these...feelings out. He knew if he didn't do it now, he would never get to it. Okay. Soul was not an idiot. He knew how jealousy felt. He was very familiar with it in fact. He knew how it would clutch his heart in its ugly hands whenever his brother's playing was praised and he would realize his piano playing dulled next next to it, no matter how much he practised, how hard he tried. He knew how his body would surge with illogical anger, how his blood would boil and his muscles tense. It had felt pretty much the same when he had been watching Maka and Black*Star.

He was jealous that Maka was getting along with Black*Star.

He was jealous because Black*Star could touch Maka in such a friendly way without her minding it.

He was jealous because he disliked their closeness.

He was jealous because he wanted to be the only one who was really close to her.

He was jealous and they weren't a couple, feeling possessive even though he had no right to. Maka could do whatever she pleased and he had to fucking accept it, which he did. No way in hell would he demand that she only spend time with him. He might have reached a pretty bad emotional low but even he would never sink so low.

Not cool.

He sighed, slumping forward.

If he was getting jealous because his best friend was close to his meister, it would mean that he...that he might be harbouring feelings for her that went beyond lust and friendship. He hissed, squeezing his eyes shut as he rubbed them fiercely.

He groaned lowly. He had always known that the arrangement they had was heavily flawed, might have been aware of it since the beginning, but now that he really turned his options over, he fully realized that he could only lose.

The first thing that went through his head when he considered his dilemma was not the thing he should have been considering first. No, the first thing he had been thinking about was to maybe, perhaps, sort of suggest the shaky offer to try something like an actual relationship. There was just the minor problem that Maka would probably spit fire and rage at this. The ideal case that she'd actually accept his offer was next to impossible and things would certainly be very awkward after that.

On the other hand, if he indeed expressed the wish to end things with her because of some reasons he would likely resist disclosing to her, she'd doubtlessly question him about it until he told her, ergo things would be very awkward.

And if he didn't say anything and continued as they were, pining for more whereas she would remain oblivious, things would be very awkward too. He had the uncanny ability to cuddle all the time even if they had kind of agreed not to. But he coudn't help it, had no conscious control over it, especially not when she returned his affectionate gestures, causing hope to pulse within his chest cavity.

"Soul?"

He startled, his heart beats going haywire. He bit back a gasp and faced her, eyes wide with surprise. "M-maka?"

She regarded him with concerned eyes, her hands clasped together, hidden behind her back. She was still in her bikini but had the wrap bound around her hips. He unconsciously licked his lips, momentarily distracted from his dilemma by the wonderful sight in front of him.

"Liz told me you came here, said you weren't feeling well," she came up to him, completely oblivious to his leering eyes and put her soft hand against his forehead, her fingers slightly damp and pruney. He leaned into her touch, basking in her closeness and sighed, his eyes shutting on their own accord. "Are you feeling better now, Soul?"

Her concern made him giddy but it also pushed the things he had been thinking about since he arrived here to the forefront of his mind again. They were alone, had privacy, he could bring it up. When he opened his eyes and found her beautiful, deep green ones watching him with such a warm expression, he was at a loss for words. Forgetting all about his stupid issues and mopey feelings, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. And there it was again, the inability to think straight because his desire for her was uncontainable. He licked his lips, whispering against her ear, "Actually, I'm totally okay. Just wanted to get away from the others since I knew you'd come here once you found out."

He had to applaud himself for his improvisational skills. She tensed up in his arms and for a moment he feared that was the wrong thing to say. But then she relaxed and giggled.

"Idiot. Why would you do something like that. I was actually worried," she said, scolding finger poking his chest.  
"'Cause I can't touch you like this when the others are around."

There was another opening; he could use it and try to talk about it with her but he ignored it, just ran a hand through her water-darkened hair. She pulled away a little, looking him in the eyes with a questioning tilt of her head. He smirked. Cute.

"Don't tell me, you wanted to lure me here so we could have sex?" The way she said it, free from anger and annoyance, sounding more playful than anything, which made his blood race and his smirk only became bigger. His fingers played with the strings of her bikini top, itching with the urge to unfasten them while his other hand travelled down her back and busied itself with the bikini bottom, playing with the elastic, stretching it and letting it go only to have it lightly slap against her skin there.

"Maybe."

There was a small moment in which she looked conflicted, biting her lips and glancing out of the window as if she could spy any sudden, unbidden visitors. Her nails dug into his shoulder blades and she let out a devious, little giggle that had his limbs almost twitch in anticipation. She got out of his embrace, his heart ready to drop, expecting another rejection but then she held her hand out.

He smiled and took it, letting her lead them to her bedroom.

* * *

She was so beautiful he couldn't take it anymore. Was it too unrealistic of a wish to want her with him naked all the time? Or at least in an advanced stage of undress since it didn't take much to get rid of bikinis or underwear. He smirked smugly as he stared down at her heaving chest, her flushed face and her hazy eyes. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, her taste still on the tip of his tongue as he leaned down to kiss her.

She moaned, unabashedly groping his ass as her back arched and she rubbed her chest against his. He teased her wet folds with his dick, grazing against her in a heady rhythm, relishing in the needy noises she made.

There was no way he could ever not touch her when she was like this. He couldn't keep his hands off her, his blood boiling, his heart thudding loudly in his chest, his fingertips tingling at every contact he made with her delicate skin, his body calling out to her with an urgency that was unbearable. She mewled into another kiss, her left leg hooking around his hips, drawing him even closer and even the slightest touch sent sparks through his veins. She panted harshly against his mouth, her breaths searing and hot and _desperate_. Her lips formed words, syllables and letters and noises he didn't catch in their entirety.

"S-soul, hurry."

He chuckled darkly, nibbling on her earlobe. "All in due time."

"No, we need to hurry...what if...what if-mmmh, what if the others come back before-"

"Screw them. Who cares?"

She gasped. "I do!"

He stopped, raising his head from the crook of her neck to look into her eyes, dejected to see the first signs of doubt swirling in their depths. He frowned lightly. "Why do you care so much if they find out about this."

He absentmindedly stroked her cheek as he waited for her answer. She fidgeted, uneasily glancing from left to right.

"Maka?"

"They...they're going to..." she sighed heavily. "They're going to judge us."

He blinked. "What?"

"If they ever find out that we only have a sexual relationship, they're going to insist that...that it's wrong and always ask why we aren't dating and all that."

"That's it?" He scoffed. "You know I kinda doubt that they'd say that. Even if they do, screw them. Why do you care so much about other people's opinions anyway. I mean it's none of their business if you have no strings attached sex with someone."

It pained him a little to say that but he didn't like seeing her this way, to see her mood being swayed negatively because she bothered too much about what other people thought of her.

"They might say that. At least, I'm sure Tsubaki would."

He sighed and smiled a little in an attempt to make her feel better and caressed her hair tenderly. "As I said, don't worry too much. I'm sure Tsubaki would respect whatever you wanted." His smile transformed into a strained grin as he ran a hand over a breast, his thumb grazing the nipple. Her breath hitched and her eyes lost their focus for a moment, clouding over and darkening.

"Yeah, you're right, I think."

"Sure, I am." He tilted her chin up, loving the red on her cheeks and the way her lips parted as his hand on her breast became rougher and bolder, pinching and tugging and squeezing. And then he continued because he was dumb and it didn't come out as jokingly as he had intended it to be (maybe), "And even if you do care that much there's always the possibility of being more than friends who are just having sex."

Maybe he should have added an adjective to "sex", should have called it mind-blowingly awesome, or amazing or something to have it come across as less serious. He might have winked at her in a belated attempt to sell his suggestions as some sort of joke, looking like a total idiot in the process. The foggy layer in her eyes cleared and he could feel her tense up in his arms, making him curse his idiot self to hell and back. There was an awkward moment of silence and then she let out a giggle, nearly hysteric and very nervous.

"Don't be silly, Soul. I mean us together as in really together?" She giggled again. It sounded painfully fake and her words stung a lot more than they should. Shouldn't he be happy that she didn't take it seriously or at least pretended to see it as a joke? Maybe, so. Yet it still felt like someone had ripped his heart out and stomped on it repeatedly. He had expected this but it didn't mean that being aware of this possibility had him prepared in any way for that crushing feeling that pelted down on his soul.

He schooled his features into amusement, forcing out a chuckle that was as miserably fake as Maka's giggles. She pulled herself up slightly and kissed him, biting on his lips lightly, sucking on his tongue. Her hands were quick and nimble and maybe he was really a very primitive and simple-minded man but he couldn't deny that her fingers on his dick were a very effective source of distraction from an early onset of heartbreak.

He groaned, sucking in a deep breath in between clenched teeth as her small hand wrapped firmly around him and her deviously skilled mouth worked on his jawline. She practically purred his name and for a moment all thoughts - sensible, rational, stupid and sad all at once - were wiped clean from his mind and all his senses registered were only her, particularly the rhythmic movement of her hand on his shaft. He bit his lip, arms and legs quivering as he strained himself to hold himself up to avoid squashing her.

He stopped her before he could come.

"Ready?" he headily whispered, having never rolled on a condom so fast before. She nodded, a cheeky smile on her lips as he spread her legs and fitted himself properly against her.

"Wait." She pressed her palms flatly against his chest and heaved herself into a sitting position. "Let's try something new."

And he let her, not at all adverse to letting her lead because how could he have something against her wanting to be on top? He watched her curiously as she made him lay down on his back and straddled his hips. Her eyes held a mischievous glint and he could only grin stupidly, giddy and excited. His nerves were on fire, his body a mass of heat and sweat and _oh_, the view was fantastic. He hissed pitifully when she began to grind against his dick but refused to let him enter. He greedily ran his hands from her thighs to her rear, making her move more forcefully and faster against him, drawing cute little gasps out of her. She braced herself above him with her hands resting on his shoulders, giving him a perfect view of her tits right in front of his dazed face. She writhed her hips, his tip melting into her as she slowly took him in fully, her mouth a fountain of unbelievably hot noises.

Oh fuck, she felt amazing, wonderfully tight and warm and wet. He gasped, clutching her hips eagerly, helping her to set up a pace to their hips they both could handle. It was kind of embarrassing how vocal he was getting as he watched her, utterly transfixed by her. He could see everything. There was absolutely nothing that remained hidden. Squinted, red eyes took in the absolute hotness that was his partner: blond hair messed up sexily, face contorted with pleasure, arms strong and steady as she moved-oh damn, and her tits. He couldn't leave those two alone, nope, that would be an atrocity of uncontainable idiocy. He left one hand at her hip and the other merrily groped its way up to her chest and was happy to remain there.

He was mesmerized by the movement of her hips and completely lost it when his eyes fell upon the place they joined together. Fuck. A whole month of building up stamina was nearly lost just because he happened to see his dick vanishing inside of her. Their cries were increasing in their urgency and it was through sheer force of will that he managed to last longer than her. She came with a shuddering moan, his name barely gasped out and he was already hot on her trail, his eyes closing as he let out a final groan.

Maka heavily collapsed on top of him, her pants searing against the skin of his neck. As their hearts calmed down and they basked in the afterglow of amazing,_ good_sex, Soul couldn't help but notice that she didn't say anything when he wrapped his arms around her sweaty body. Didn't complain but instead sighed, sounding pleased, when he softly kissed her temple and hair, his fingers tracing lazy circles on her lower back.

Could he dare to hope that-

No.

He shook his head. Better not venture there with his thoughts. Even though it was very tempting to read more into her willingness to cuddle with him more since their first time, he shouldn't. It could be because she was exhausted and it took too much effort to move out of his embrace.

"Soul?"

"Hmm?"

"We should get cleaned up and get back to the others."

"Fine." He sighed but did not release her, not that she made any attempts to get up.

"I need to take a shower."

"Me too."

"...we could take one together, you know, to save time." He felt her smile against his chest and he felt his skin heat with renewed excitement. "And...it has a bench too. I guess it'd be easier to make use of it and less dangerous than standing up while we're fucking."

He had never been this eager to get out of bed after sex ever.

* * *

After a lengthy shower during which they spent more time having sex than getting clean, they were too tired and exhausted to join the others. Clad in fluffy, white bathrobes, they were sprawled out lazily on the couch, watching TV.

"We really should get back, Soul. The others-"

"Don't give a fuck where we are. We've been away for what? Three hours already?"

"Touché."

He glanced at her from the corners of his eyes, taking in with particular interest how her neck sported a hickey. Whoops, he got carried away a little. Without warning his fingers were on it. At her surprised face, he merely said, "You got something there."

She frowned. "What?"

"A mark."

"What?" She patted her bruised skin, aghast. "How am I going to go to the beach with the others with...with a hickey on my neck?"

"It's not really big or noticeable." He shrugged leisurely. This seemed to calm her somewhat. "And if you still feel too self-conscious, we can always stay here together and have sex all the time."

She swatted his hand away, rolling her eyes yet smiling at the same time and it was all he needed to know that she wasn't completely dismissing that alternative. "If it helps you with your melancholy, we can do that?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been pretty out of it the whole day, Soul. I...you got all weird when we arrived here. Does it...does it have to do something with the piano? I mean it sounds kinda stupid but...I don't know. If there's anything, you can tell me." She fidgeted slightly.

Oh, she didn't even get a chip out of what was going through his head. His heart clenched and he averted his eyes to the carpet, his fist clenching. "I...I'd rather not talk about it."

He expected her to nag him to tell him, so he was surprised when she patted his knee and offered him a small smile. "Okay, I understand. But if there's anything that you want to get off your chest, I'm always ready to listen."

Suddenly his mouth was dry, his tongue feeling thick and knotted, making him unable to form proper words. He really appreciated that she wasn't prying and pushing him. "Yeah, thanks."

He put his hand on top of hers, squeezing it lightly. He guessed when he was ready, he'd tell her. Maybe. They remained like this for a few minutes, basking in the comfortable silence and just enjoying each other's presence. It was only broken when she lay down, not at all bashful when her robe slipped a little and exposed her right breast, his eyes instantly drawn to her chest. She was going to be the death of him. He swallowed hard, not trying to hide that he was openly staring at her. She didn't seem to mind, what with the saucy smile she was giving him. He was on top of her in a second, unfastening her robe completely to expose her chest to him, his lips working furiously against hers.

"Again?" she whispered, sighing when he kissed her neck.

"What do you think? Didn't you plan this?"

She laughed. "Maybe," she said coyly and raked her hand through his hair as her other hand impishly worked on getting his robe off. He grinned into her neck, petted the taught skin of her stomach and-

"OH MY GOD!"

They scrambled away from each other in record time, Maka's head bumping against his painfully. He gasped and made sure the flimsy robe covered him, Maka following his example. She quickly stood up, her legs shaky and wobbly when she spoke, "L-Liz, it's not-"

"Oh my God. I'd always suspected it but...but you were doing each other after all! YESSS!" Liz grinned manically, her teeth bared and her eyes carrying a deranged glint. She laughed and waved at them as she slowly inched back. "Please, just continue. I'm just gonna go and tell the others real quick."

"Liz! No! You can't do that!"

"B-but..."

Soul sighed. Just what he needed.

"Fuck."

* * *

A/N: Yes, really, I updated! =D I hope this chapter appeased you a little, what with my awful updating schedule (or lack thereof). And I just realized that this was probably the first time the sex was not totally awkward. Hopefully you enjoyed this and as always reviews and feedback make me very happy!


	10. Of dry phases

A/N: Aaah, sorry that this took so long. You have no idea how happy and amazed I am that you're still sticking around to read this fic. Your reviews, faves and alerts make me so giddy. I love you guys. And on with chapter ten. Enjoy and your feedback is very much appreciated.

* * *

**Chapter Ten **

** Of dry phases, of jealousy and finally!**

It was her fault. She had been careless and now she was paying for it. She was frozen in place, her limbs heavy and numb as she watched Liz, who looked like she was having epileptic seizures of some kind. Maka grimaced and clenched her fists. She needed to do something or Liz was surely going to tell everyone else and...and she didn't want to think about the chaos that would ensure if they found out, too.

She gulped. "Liz," she began tentatively, but her meek voice went unheard.

Liz's blue eyes flashed and she grinned at them widely, rubbing her hands together gleefully. Soul let out an annoyed groan next to her, and she sought out his gaze, silently trying to apologize for messing up like that, though he didn't look that perturbed. He just shrugged at her and sighed, the corner of his mouth lifting in a resigned half-smile.

How could he be so calm?!

Liz just saw them lost pretty far in foreplay territory. No, no, no, no! She couldn't have the chatty blonde tell everyone else. She liked Liz, but Liz liked gossip, and Maka didn't, especially not if she was the center of the gossip. Dread rose in her her chest, icy shivers running down her spine.

"Liz!" she yelled and finally caught her attention.

"What is it, Maka?" Her smile was impossibly big and showed far too much tooth, and Maka most certainly did not like the deranged glint in her eyes. "You have no idea how happy I am. I have been shipping you two together since the Chrona incident!"

What?

Shipping?

Soul and she exchanged a confused glanced and silently agreed that they would not ask for clarification of that term, which she usually connected with...ships and couldn't fathom why Liz would compare them to buoyant marine vessels.

"Hey, Liz," she said, steeling her voice and bracing herself for the indignation she was going to be confronted with, "Liz, you-you can't tell the others."

"What?! WHY NOT?!"

Maka winced. "Because..."

"Because we don't want you to go tell the others shit," Soul said, looking remarkably calm for someone who had been walked in by someone as he was about to screw his girlfri─ no, no, no, no. Not girlfriend. Damn it, why was that word even floating in her mind in association with what she and Soul had; she was the one who had set the rules up! And now she was the one who was thinking in labels. She groaned tiredly.

"But...," the happiness in Liz's voice faltered, confusion settling in her eyes. "...why do you want to keep this a secret? If you're scared that the others won't like it, you don't have to worry. Everyone has been waiting for you to hook up since forever!"

"Eh?"

Maka carefully rubbed her temple; the next she needed to know was that people were placing bets on when she and Soul would get it on. She gritted her teeth, before she let her expression soften, making sure her eyes looked big and pitiful and water. This tactic worked on her papa and Soul very effectively and she had yet to try it out on Liz, but there was a first time for everything.

"Liz, please, don't tell the others," she said stepping into Liz's personal space. Maka made sure to pout a little, feeling incredibly ridiculous, but she couldn't fight down the glimmer of victory when she saw her friend cringe painfully.

"Oh, don't give me that look, that's unfair."

Maka threw a glance over her shoulder, silently signaling Soul to fucking help her, damn it! He sighed dramatically before his expression morphed into his ridiculous puppy dog eyes that had her biting her lip in restraint, lest she tackle him into a hug. It really made her want to wrap him into a blanket and feed him chicken soup.

"We really don't want the others to know yet," he said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "So could you maybe keep this to yourself?"

Liz whimpered. "You're both horrible you know that? Giving me these kicked puppy looks." She glowered at them, clenching her fists before she sighed. "Not even Patti or Kid?"

"No way! Patti can't keep a secret and...and...just no," Maka mumbled, gulping anxiously.

"Fiiiiiine," she groaned loudly. "I was so looking forward to this. Not to mention I won the bet against Tsubaki, but now I can't say anything."

"What bet, Liz?" Maka asked, eye narrowed.

Liz let out a nervous chuckle. "Nevermind! I'll go and leave you two alone to...to have fun and stuff. Bye bye!"

Maka let out a heavy breath, watching Liz dash through the door warily.

"Do you really think she'll be able to keep it to herself?" Soul lightly nudged her side, eyes questioning and completely calm at the same. "She really does like her gossip."

She nodded, gulping down her panic. "Yeah, I'm sure she won't tell anyone...I hope."

* * *

The next few days were the most awkward in her life. Maka couldn't shake off the suspicion that the others knew everything, even though Liz had promised and repeatedly reassured her that she hadn't let anything slip to anyone, despite it being "pure torture".

It didn't help that Soul hadn't really touched her since Liz had walked in on them. At first, Maka thought it had all to do that he wanted to avoid anyone seeing them going at it again, but considering how calm he had been when Liz saw them, Maka was beginning to have her doubts. That and Soul liked being affectionate with her. He liked to randomly touch her, to put his hand on her arm or shoulder, to ruffle her hair or run his finger through it; sometimes, he didn't even shy away from a hug or a small kiss on her cheek.

It was only now, after she was deprived of his tender gestures, that Maka realized how much she...liked them. She didn't want to admit that this sudden distant nature of his upset her. Well, it wouldn't be as bad if he'd at least give her a proper explanation. She wouldn't be feeling this down if he straight up told her what his problem was. That was what she was trying to tell herself, however unconvincingly.

They were on the beach again, and it was oddly calm since Patti and Black*Star were absent, gone somewhere to get food for dinner later. Liz had gone with them because leaving those two alone could only bring disastrous consequences. The afternoon was a little chilly, at least compared to what they had been used to so far; the sea slightly unruly, waves bigger and more forceful from the days before. It didn't deter Tsubaki from snorkeling, only to resurface with starfishes and sea shells. Maka, Soul and Kid were leisurely killing time by reading, or listening to music in Soul's case, off in his own world. She peeked at him over the edge of her book, hoping he'd somehow sense her unease and talk to her.

She had no such luck and soon she finished her book, even after stubbornly refusing to turn the second to last page so she'd have a means to stare at Soul discreetly like a creep. She did this for ten minutes before she put the hardcover book to the side with a heavy sigh.

Screw this, she'd ask Soul later. Sulking like this would get her nowhere. She offered to play cards with Kid, to which he agreed. He made an effort with poker, but she called the game off when he got increasingly twitchy. Really, she appreciated that he was trying his hardest not to let his unease show, but Maka could handle only so many minutes during which she had to fear that he might just whack her over the head in a symmetry fit since she had suggested they play poker and had inadvertently doomed him to having to deal with five cards.

Arranging the cards into a neat pile, Kid put them to the side out of his periphery and they fell into a casual conversation about books, and much to her delight Maka got Kid to agree to lend her some of his prized books.

Tsubaki returned from her snorkeling, and Kid agreed to head back to the house with her, finally giving Soul and Maka the opportunity to be alone. For a moment Maka feared that Soul might want to leave too, but was relieved when he only cracked an eye open and waved at Kid and Tsubaki.

As soon as Maka was sure they were gone, she didn't waste any time scooting closer to Soul in what she hoped was a subtle manner. Her thigh lightly bumped against his, and he opened his eyes again, watching her curiously.

She smiled shyly. "The wind is getting cold," she said as she cuddled up against him, throwing an arm over his torso, tangling their legs together.

"Uh, we can go in─"

She held back a groan, her fingertips lazily trailing over the curve of his shoulder. "Actually I had something else in mind."

He blinked dubiously. "Oh, _oh_."

Her smile was coy as she gave up all pretenses of wanting to snuggle and draped herself over him, sighing at the sensation of his warm skin and hard muscles against her body. Before he had the chance to say something, her lips were on his, moving languidly, her hands all over his body, caressing every patch of skin they could find. Her fingers raked through his hair, his earbuds falling out in the process. He was laying stiffly beneath her, and his lack of participation scared her a little. But then his arms came to life, wrapping around her waist, and he was kissing her back with as much passion.

She smiled against his lips, elation and relief washing over her. Oh, she had missed this and it had been only what? Three days? She nearly squealed when it was his tongue seeking out hers first, sliding against her lips before she decided to stop the teasing and start to suck faces properly. Her body was on fire, her skin prickled and she needed him so much; her hips had a life of their own, rolling against his crotch as she rubbed her breasts against his chest, her bikini top askew and barely covering her tits. Not that she was planning to stay dressed.

"Maka, mmh, w-wait─" She let out a whine when instead of groping her ass as she had expected, his hands stilled her hips.

"What is it?" she whispered, "It's been so long, Soul." She didn't even realize that she was in all seriousness complaining about the lack of sex during the small span of two days.

"Isn't this what got us in trouble in the first place...you know, with Liz?"

She groaned. He had a point but screw that. "Nobody is here though, and I don't think anyone will come to look for us when Liz is there to...to you know, stop them and stuff."

Her mouth was on his again, her hand sliding down his chest, but then he grasped her by her upper arms and pushed her slightly away. His chest was heaving, his hair in disarray and his eyes dark and clouded.

"Okay, that's enough," he said firmly.

She bit her lip, hanging her head. "But why? I mean, we were all over each other two days ago and then you stop touching me altogether."

He sighed, squeezing her arms a little. "Look, you know what happened with Liz and─"

"Bullshit!" Her head snapped up, eyes furious. "Don't give me that lame excuse because you did not care at all that Liz found out about us. You couldn't have been more indifferent and calm about it! Don't try to deny it, I think I can read my partner enough to know that."

"Uh..."

"Soul, what's wrong?"

He broke their eye contact, heaving another sigh. "I'm just not...in the mood for it, I guess."

"O-okay...is it because I did something or─"

"What? No! Don't worry about it. Everything's fine."

She sniffed, gulping her worry down. "No, it's not. It's one thing if you're not up for sex, but another when you seem to be ignoring me."

"I'm not ignoring you," he muttered lowly, looking uneasily to the side. "Okay, maybe I've been a bit distant, but it's not because of something you did. I just...I just need a bit space to think and...yeah."

"W-what?" She gasped. He was going to leave her! You don't say stuff like that without having that ulterior motive. Why else would he need space from her to think?

"Oh, wait! It's not what you think! This is not a breakup or anything...there's just something I need to figure out on my own. That's why I didn't tell you anything."

Her heart calmed somewhat at his admission; her hands stopped shaking. Maka inhaled deeply, her brain fuzzy as she tried to make sense of his words. "What is it that's bothering you this much, Soul?"

"I...I wouldn't call it a bother actually, but I'll tell you when I'm ready okay? And sorry for ignoring you. That wasn't cool of me."

She didn't know what to say to this; she was confused but also somewhat relieved and maybe she should climb out of his lap if he craved some distance, but he was still holding her by her arms. He leaned in and hesitated for a second before he pressed a soft kiss on her lips, making her heart flutter in her chest.

He grinned wryly. "Trust me on this one."

* * *

Maka had looked forward to returning to school, but was a little queasy since Soul and she had neglected their regular training pattern a bit. Although, they sure had gotten in a lot of another kind of training, she thought to herself with a blush as she took her stance on the field. Black*Star grinning smugly as he practically juggled Tsubaki's weapon form in an amazing display of irresponsible and dangerous weapon usage.

Maka's eyebrow twitched and Soul transformed, making a sound between a snort and sigh as he landed securely in her gloved hands. The weight of steel and blade and soul was comforting─ cool even against her worn gloves. She took a deep breath and glanced at Doctor Stein as he gave them the sign to start practise.

Black*Star let out a loud howl and didn't waste any time with strategic maneouvres; he was a blur of blue and white, fast and noisy and flashy with his moves. Maka's eyes had a hard time keeping up with his steps, barely managing to dodge a swipe aimed at her legs when he zigzagged towards her.

She hissed, cursing her clumsiness and growled when Black*Star made a jab at her slowness in his most irritating voice. She would have none of this! She remained on the defensive for the most part because attacking Black*Star head on would not yield good results. She did manage a kick in his crotch, before she kneed him in the side, distracting him long enough to perform a spectacular soul resonance with Soul.

Their combined wavelengths roared, their souls entwining so strongly she almost lost her grip on Soul. She gasped, her partner's surprise painfully palpable, as she tried to regain her composure, feeling gleeful at the blatant display of awe on Black*Star's face. The resonance felt different, she could feel it in her bones, her blood pumping steadily in her veins, their wavelengths fused together, a thick rope of power and strength.

Her boots dug into the gravelly ground below, her shoulders felt heavy, the muscles in her arms tensed as she dashed forward, eyes fierce as she swung the scythe around and─

"That will be enough! Maka, Black*Star, you can stop now!" Doctor Stein bellowed, his glasses glinting in the sunlight as he watched her with a detached, clinical curiosity.

"Hey! We haven't even started yet!" Black*Star yelled as Tsubaki materialized next to him, putting an appeasing hand on his brawny shoulder.

Stein waved his hand dismissively. "Wait until it's your turn again. Ox, Harvar and Kim, Jackie, you're up next," he said, and then turning to them, he added, "Oh, Soul and Maka? I'd like to speak to you after class."

"Huh, what does he want?" Soul mumbled more to himself than to her as they made their way to the edge of the practise fields, plopping down heavily.

Maka sprawled her legs out in front of her, careful with her short skirt. "I have no idea."

* * *

Actually she had an inkling of what Doctor Stein wanted to talk about with them. Their soul resonance during class was very strong and it came basically out of nowhere; Soul had to have felt it too. She was about to ask Soul a random question just to fill in the silence and maybe make some smalltalk because she was unnerved by her partner's quietness lately. At least he was talking to her again, but it wasn't the same as...it was weird. He wasn't exactly distant, but...she wasn't sure, she couldn't quite put her finger on it. They still talked, ate together, watched movies, and sometimes when he was in the mood for it, they made out but never got further than second base. She couldn't help but feel that there was something amiss despite their conversation. As short as they were by now, he never seemed to be paying full attention to them, as if...he was constantly distracted, and Maka really didn't want to think too much about the reason (read: a female person that wasn't her) Soul might be so preoccupied.

She knew she was being silly. He had told her to trust him, which she did from the bottom of her heart, even if this thought process of his made her more than a little antsy and insecure, and he had assured her that he wouldn't break up with her. Was a breakup even a possibility when they weren't a real couple? She didn't know, neither did she know why she was still desperately clinging to the friends with benefits label when it was clear that...that..._urgh_.

Coming back to school after a very eventful break had been nice and awful at once. Maka was happy to see some of her friends again, but she loathed to see those other people who bugged her partner in the hopes he'd leave her to be with them.

Soul had shown no signs of interest in other girls, but oh, those annoying fangirls never failed to make their interest in her partner blatantly clear. But even if Soul did wish to date someone, Maka had no reason to become so...embarrassingly territorial with him. She'd just accept it and wish him the best and all the happiness in the world.

She sighed, barely acknowledging Doctor Stein as he sauntered into the room without so much as a greeting, straddling his chair so he was looking at them from above the backrest, his arms comfortably folded on top of it.

"I'll make it quick," he began, eying her first and then Soul, "I'm sure you must have noticed this too, especially you, Maka: your resonance rate on the practise field today was very high, which in itself wouldn't be that surprising if you had been partners for longer, a decade maybe. I doubt that you've gone through enough of an intensive training regiment during your summer break to achieve such a heightened rate of soul resonance, either. Which led to one conclusion," he paused, lit himself a cigarette. Soul was fidgeting, while Maka felt like she could faint on the spot. "You two had sex."

She choked on her spit, her voice shrill and panicky, her cheeks steaming as she quickly began to deny her teacher's totally correct conclusion of things. Oh God, what if he told her papa?! She made a squeak, waving her hands in front of her helplessly.

"Maka," he said, puffing out smoke; he was the very epitome of indifference, "You don't need to lie to me and quite frankly, I don't care if you're having sex, just make sure it doesn't affect your performance on the field negatively, and no, I won't tell your father either." This calmed her down somewhat, but if Stein didn't care then why had he─ "I just need to know if you're taking any hormonal type of contraception, that is─" his glasses glinted as he fixed them both with a pointed look, "─if you do use any contraceptives."

She spluttered before she regained her composure. "O-of course! Who do you take us for? And no, no hormonal contraception."

Maka didn't think she could become anymore more mortified at this point. She just wanted this be over with and preferably erase this occurrence from her mind with bleach.

"Why do you want to know?" Soul asked suspiciously, his shoulders tense.

Stubbing out his cigarette in the ashtray on his desk, Stein twisted the screw in his head as he said, "Hormonal contraceptives can have negative side effects on the body and it is in your favour if I am informed about it too, if necessary, advise you against using them. But since this is not the case, you're free to go." He waved his hand dismissively, and Soul and Maka didn't waste any time remaining in the constricting office any longer.

* * *

"Well, that was awkward," Soul said as they were walking safely through the halls, away from prying, creepy doctors. "And I didn't think that sex actually helps improve resonance rate was true; I thought that was more of a wishful thinking than anything and an excuse to fuck."

"I read about that somewhere─" Soul interrupted her with a loudly snorted 'of course' and she tried to silence him with a glare, but couldn't fight off a stupid smile because she was stupid Maka, and was feeling stupid things because of his stupid smile and her stomach felt weird and fluttery and nopenope, she definitely did not have the case of butterflies in the belly. "Sex can help you with resonance, but only if you have already mastered it with your partner, so it's not an easy and quick way to get a stable resonance done and it might actually mess stuff up if the sexual relationship complicates more than it helps."

"Good thing we can screw and fight, huh?" He chuckled, though it sounded more forced than anything, worrying her all the more. But Maka refused to let this moment pass because it was the closest to normal conversation they'd had since they came back from Malibu.

She forced out a giggle and nodded. "Heh, yeah. I guess it makes the resonance stronger because not only do you join souls and see each other inside out but also see each other at your most vulnerable and...yeah..."

She really didn't mean to make it sound so...romantic? Intimate? It was just sex and...nothing else.

She made the mistake of looking up, of looking straight into his warm, red eyes. She felt her heart jump into her throat, the fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach increasing, her head spinning as her body felt feverish all over. She should point out that he was standing very, very close to her and that he shouldn't in a hallway like this where everyone could see them. She carefully pushed this thought away because her mind couldn't handle more than the expression in his eyes right now, monopolizing her every braincell and thought. She took a shaky breath and didn't pull away or make an attempt to push him away when he put his hand gently on her upper arm.

His heavy-lidded gaze was hypnotizingly alluring.

"Maka."

Oh, her heart might have left her body completely, because she couldn't really pinpoint what was happening in her chest, her lungs burning as she struggled for breath. His hand on her cheek was soft and tender, his lips hesitant and shy as he kissed her, and Maka realized in that moment that her heart was most likely still where it should be, pumping blood through her body, thudding strongly in her chest cavity as she tried not to lose her balance because of her weak knees.

What was going on? What-what had happened to him needing his space. He sure as hell was not attempting to put distance between them right now. Surely, the space he had needed to think didn't entail how to surprise with his sudden affection, did it?

He breathed out her name again when he pulled away, and she couldn't fucking handle his eyes, his fucking voice, the way he caressed her cheek because fuck, she knew what he might say and it scared her shitless, even if she had been craving this closeness,She had so painstakingly worked on this arrangement, something that enabled them to be with on a level that most partners weren't and keep stupid, useless feelings like love out of the way. She tensed up. Her face paled the moment _that_word crossed her mind.

His countenance changed in an instant, he took a step back, his hands dropping to his sides and she really didn't want to analyze the gush of cold against her skin when he hadn't really touched her much in the first place. Even now when coherent thoughts seemed not to be a possibility, she could tell he was trying to salvage his slip up, his mouth opening and closing. He kinda looked like one of those weird fishes, and oh no, she couldn't just break out into laughter just to prove that any mental health she had left was wavering quickly.

Wordlessly, they agreed to categorize this slip up under 'never happened' and they awkwardly proceeded to walk down the corridor, the silence weighing heavily on her as she tried to will her stupid heart to stop beating so noisily because she really couldn't have that now.

Maka didn't like the silence and was reminded how she had tried to ignore him when she had realized how much she was desiring him. She didn't want to fall into that dumb pattern of ignore and keep quiet again. Not after everything that had happened. She wanted to talk with Soul, joke around with him and erase this feeling of distance she was sensing between them. So she tried. "I can't believe Doctor Stein found out so easily. Damn his soul perception and─wait!" She looked up at Soul with wide, desperate eyes because her stupidly complicated feelings weren't the only things to worry about and how could she have forgotten this?!

"What?"

"Does...does this mean...that Kid knows too?!" She groaned loudly, burying her face in her hands.

Soul's hand on her back did little to appease her as she continued to fret and and think of how she could make Kid shut his mouth about the matter. Kid was all in all a reliable person. She should try to remain calm about this.

"Nah, even if Kid saw our higher resonance rate, I doubt he made the same connection as Stein," he said, looking oddly calm.

"How so?"

"Because Kid has the sexuality of a potato."

She giggled despite herself. "Kid is perceptive though, I think...I think I'll talk with Liz just to make sure."

He sighed. "If it makes you feel better than go ahead and..."

"Um, excuse me? But can I talk to you, S-soul?"

Green and red eyes focused on a pair of shy hazel ones. Maka felt her heart drop because these kinds of things kept happening more often. Soul sighed, bracing himself for another carefully crafted rejection. His lips were already parted when Maka cut in.

"Oh, I...I really should go and talk with Liz and...and you two can talk...or whatever." She liked to pretend she sounded totally normal and not like a person that was close to a nervous breakdown. Before Soul had the chance to stop her, she turned on her heel and made a quick dash away from them.

She was being ridiculous and stupid and dumb and stupid and _urgh_. How emotionally incompetent could she be, running away from her problems again instead of facing them? Soul was usually the one she would go to if there was something on her mind, but whom could she turn to when he was the very source of her dumb feelings? Blair, although sometimes startlingly mature, like to tease her more than anything. Maka doubted she could handle any more sexual innuendoes right now. She wished she could talk to Tsubaki, but that would mean spilling the entire story to her and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that yet and...oh Liz! Liz knew! Well, sort of and maybe, maybe...

Maka shook her head, bumping against a giant of a guy who she recalled attended the parallel class. She muttered a strained apology and pushed the doors to the cafeteria open. It wasn't possible to overlook Kid, Liz and Patti, and she was really glad that Tsubaki and Black*Star weren't there with them. Kid was mature enough not to interrogate her if she didn't want to talk, and Patti didn't have much of an attention span for anything aside from giraffes.

Maka walked up to their table, asked Liz if they could talk in private, pointedly avoiding Kid's questioning gaze and Patti who really looked like she might as well just come with them. Liz blinked, nodded and stood up excusing herself from the table with a drawled 'later'.

They left the cafeteria silently, a sinking feeling in her gut as she felt Kid's staring at the back of her head. Oh God, what if Kid really knew more than he let on?

* * *

Kid did not know more than he let on.

Liz threw her head back as she laughed, her drink forgotten on the table. "Don't worry, Maka, Kid has no idea. If he knew, he'd have told me."

Maka breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear."

Liz smiled. "Soooo, how are things between you and Soul going?" And her smile morphed into a grin.

Aaand the butterflies were back. Only to be killed when she remember that she had left Soul with another of his admirers alone.

"Um, fine I guess."

"You don't sound very happy. Did you already have a lovers' spat?" Liz asked.

"Wha? No, we did not have a fight if you mean that." She glanced down demurely, hating the scrutiny in Liz's eyes.

"Okay, Maka, spill it. Something IS wrong. Hey, if it's because that Norah girl has asked Soul to be her partner again today, don't worry. Soul would never─"

"I know that!" Maka snapped, eyes flashing as she looked up. "I know Soul isn't that kind of guy. I trust him, thank you very much."

"Hey," Liz raised her hands in front of her, voice calm and soothing. "I know you trust each other...and man, I just wanted to know if you are so cranky because Soul is getting more and more partner requests."

Maka's fingers clenched in the fabric of her skirt, her nails digging into her thighs as she tried her best to ward off the thick wave of jealousy. As much as she wanted to deny it, she loathed the thought of those girls and some guys thinking they'd be with _her_ weapon and not only in the platonic way, only to reprimand herself quickly because Soul was not someone she owned. Despite all if this, never once had she found herself doubting Soul's loyalty, even though some of the girls who asked him were gorgeous, smart and had very nice personalities to boot.

"No, I'm fine, Liz. Soul can do whatever he wants anyway. He's...he's not my boyfriend or anything."

"Wait, what? But I thought...but you were...Makaaaa? Are you denying everything again even though you've been going at it like rabbits?"

She groaned. "We're not a couple still. We just...have sex."

On one hand it felt really good to admit it, but the sinking feeling in her gut just doubled. Yeah, exactly. There wasn't anything deeper going on between her and Soul. She snorted. Just a physical relationship. It was supposed to be that fucking simple. She was an idiot.

"Uh, so, you're just fuck buddies?" Liz scratched the side of her head as Maka gave a barely noticeable nod, cringing inwardly. "Okay, but why?"

Maka bit her lip. "Because...it's better that way."

"Haah?"

"I mean, I mean we can have sex and not worry about feelings and relationships and breakups and all that useless stuff this way."

Liz blinked, tapping against the wood of the table. "Okay, and you are happy?" And then added in a much quieter voice, "And do you really believe that things will be less complicated that way?"

Maka felt like she was getting smaller and smaller in her seat, her shoulders slumped, her back in a slouch and her head bowed. If she were happy, she wouldn't be having these second thoughts, would she? She wouldn't get jealous either. And she certainly wouldn't chicken out whenever they shared a somewhat tender moment.

"Do you want a real relationship with him, maybe?" Liz asked. Maka was sure her silence had to have been enough of an answer for her previous question. She swallowed hard.

"I...I don't know," she said, hating how weak she sounded. She was no child anymore, damn it! "I just thought...we had the perfect arrangement this way but...but I dunno, I get...j-jealous whenever he gets these partner request letters, and I kinda like it when he hugs me and when we cuddle but when I think that he is going to tell me he wants more, I get scared. And I really don't know what I'm supposed to do." She laughed bitterly. "I think I am too much of a hassle for him to stick around with me for longer in a proper relationship. But he's still with me, even though he could do so much better."

It hurt to admit it out loud.

"Oh, Maka, don't be dumb. I'm sure Soul can decide for himself who he thinks is better for him. Besides, you really should give yourself more credit. You are cute, pretty, smart and a kickass fighter. You two are very compatible," Liz said, sounding almost conversational if it weren't for the tenseness in her arms. Maka felt bad for bombarding her with her dumb issues, but she really appreciated Liz's effort to help her and it really made her feel a little better even if Maka herself had a hard time with believing in her friend's supportive words.

"I don't know what to do."

"Do whatever makes you happy, hon."

Maka smiled faintly. "What if I don't know what makes me happy?"

"Well, then you gotta try shit out."

"Y-you mean...I should tell Soul? Tell him that I..urgh, I was the one who said there would be no romantic feelings involved, I even set up rules about snuggling so we'd be okay and now I'm the one who says to forget about those," she groaned lowly, giving Liz a pitiful look, "I'm such a hypocrite. I mean, okay, we never stuck to these rules actually but...but..."

"You set up rules so you don't do coupley stuff, but then decided to fuck it and did it anyway? And, uh, Maka, sorry to break this to you, actually no, I'm not sorry to break this to you but depending on who you ask you and Soul were pretty coupley already."

Maka blinked, not certain if this made her happy or just more panicky. Liz smiled, "Just talk to him, Maka. Tell him what is on your mind. It's better than being confused all the time. I'm sure you'll work things out when you're honest with each other...and shit."

"Heh, thank you for the advice." Maka giggled, making her decision.

Yes, she would talk to Soul.

* * *

Maka was still undecided about what to do, even though the conversation with Liz had cleared her mind somewhat. But the moment Soul stepped into the foyer, kicking his shoes off, she was dumbly standing in the living room, ready to talk but at a loss of what to say.

"We-welcome home," she breathed, heart gripped by fear and nervousness.

He gave her a curious look, an eyebrow raised. "Thanks. How did your talk with Liz go?"

For a moment she felt like her gut was going to implode before she realized what he actually meant. She shook her head, not feeling any calmer. "Good! Kid has no idea about us." She took a shaky breath, clenched her fists. Her hands were moist with sweat and she wanted to wipe it away on her skirt, but her mouth got ahead of her again. "What did that girl want from you? Did she want to be your partner again?"

"Uh, not exactly," he said, uneasily rubbing the back of his head. "She asked me for a date."

Her heart plummeted down to her knees. "Oh, did you accept?"

She didn't even have enough time to feel miserable because his head snapped up instantly. "No," his voice was firm, cutting through the darkness in her heart sharply. "Why would I?"

Indeed, why would he? Why wouldn't he accept to go out with a beautiful, talented and sexy girl, but instead stick with plain, boring Maka like her?

"But...she's pretty. You could have given her a chance," she mumbled and looked down dejectedly, kicking herself inwardly for whatever the fuck she was doing right now. Didn't she plan on coming clean with him?!

"Maka, what the─"

"I mean, you know, you don't have to think that you need to stick with me. It's okay, you know, if you want a real girlfriend and...not me. I...I'd be totally okay with that."

Wow, could she sound any closer tears? And could she be any more stupid right now? Why try talk him into giving another girl a chance when he didn't want to leave her in the first place?

She heard him growl. "What the fuck are you saying, Maka? Do you want me to go out with that girl?"

Her throat felt tight when she replied, "No, but does it matter?"

"Huh?"

She...she did not want to chain him to herself selfishly. Soul deserved to be happy, and she'd loathe it if he couldn't find that happiness because he felt like he was obligated to continue this half-assed friends with benefits thing they had going on. She might have said it out loud or he was so much better at reading her than she was aware of, but then he was right in front of her, lightly grasping her by the arms to make her look up.

She had some sort of deja-vu, or not, she wasn't sure. Her brain wasn't exactly functioning properly at the moment. His eyes were bright and warm, his lips set into a thin line and his eyebrows furrowed.

"What makes you think, I'd want to be with that girl? Or the others? Damn it, Maka, I don't want any of them! I...I─"

_I __only __want __you._

The unspoken declaration hung between them. He really didn't need to voice it, it was written all over his face and even she wasn't dense enough to fail to see it. Her first impulse, rooted in fear and insecurities, was to push him away. She had done it in the hallways earlier that day too, after all. As much as her doubts and suspicions tried to convince her to leave and not fall for him, it was no use; Soul's eyes were sincere, and no matter how many times she kept thinking back to her parents and their divorce and her papa's cheating, Soul had never once made her believe he'd be capable of the same thing. No, her fears this time stemmed from something else, something she had a hard time pinpointing and whatever it was, there was one thing Maka was absolutely sure about with a calming clarity: She didn't want to push him away. She wanted him, wanted him selfishly to herself and to glare at anyone else who dared to think they could have him.

She let him hug her and reveled in the warmth of his embrace. Slowly, she unfurled her fists, relaxed a little and wrapped her arms around his neck. She truly felt at ease for the first time since she could remember and she had yet to tell him what was on her mind. This alone made panic bubble in her stomach; she made sure to ignore it because this was important and she needed to get this off her chest.

Yes, she wanted him, but she was scared as well and he needed to know that.

His breath was warm against the skin of her neck, causing the fine hairs there to rise. She trembled a little, heard him whisper something against her ear, but his voice was so quiet she didn't catch his words.

"What? I'm sorry, what did you say?"

He reluctantly pulled away a little, enough to be able to look into her eyes effortlessly and still remain close to her. He looked uncertain, eyes flicking back and forth, his jaw tense. He inhaled deeply.

"I love you, Maka."


	11. Of potential deaths

A/N: Yeah, I know I took ages with this update and I am really sorry. I have been working for so long on this fic and my writing style has changed and evolved that looking back at this first attempt at SoMa makes me cringe a little. I think this story might end with the next chapter or the one after that. Not really sure, but it is drawing to an end definitely. I really want to thank everyone who is still keeping up with this and leaving me great comments!

* * *

**Chapter Eleven **

**Of potential deaths, a papa's worries and some happiness**

Soul had to admit he had been expecting much more of a freakout from his meister after he whispered those three words to her. Maka remained completely quiet, blinked a few times, clutched a loose fist to her chest as her lips moved in an attempt to...he had no idea. He was hoping she would return a love confession of her own, but knew that it was just wishful thinking on his part.

"I, um, I...I...uh..."

Well, at least she wasn't pushing him away. He knew better than to hope for a happy ending, but he couldn't squash the tiny flame of hope in his heart. Unconsciously, he tightened his grip on her shoulders, holding his breath as he patiently waited for her to say a complete sentence. Time ticked by slowly and it was killing him, panic and nervousness rising in his throat.

Finally she spoke:

"How do you know?"

He blinked, took a deep breath. "What do you mean?"

She looked down, biting her lip uncertainly as she tried to control her voice. "I mean...how-how do you know you love me? How can you be so sure that this isn't a passing fancy, what if we aren't meant to be and break up and then things will be all awkward between us and I...I don't want to lose you, Soul." She raised her head, her big, green eyes finding his, full of worry and fear.

Soul felt relieved and nervous at once. She had not rejected him, but she didn't seem too keen on returning his feelings. Okay, his next words had to be well-planned, he had to think about them carefully and make sure not to scare her away. He closed his eyes, gathered his thoughts and recalled all the things that had gone through his head during the last days.

"I...I've been thinking about it a lot lately," he began, voice a little shaky but still full of conviction. He wouldn't mess this up. He willed himself to look into her eyes because if he wanted to get across how important this was to him and how sure he was of them together, he couldn't afford to display any lack of confidence that went with his words.

"So that's why you were...so silent."

He nodded. "The thing is I can't tell you for certain what makes me so sure that...I love you─" she flinched and he continued quickly before he lost her "─it's difficult to explain, but in spite of that, I know that I want to be with you. Damn it, I...I can't stand the thought of being with anyone else but you, and do you know how close I was to ripping Black*Star's head off because you two are so close?" He laughed bitterly, his heart clenching with envy. "Yeah, I know it's stupid and shit but I can't help it─" and this was where words left him, the speech he had been writing in his head to make her understand was gone. His voice wavered and he couldn't describe the extent of his mortification when he concluded with, "─and yeah, that's why...and because I like you and stuff."

He gulped, fighting the urge to run away because he couldn't have made more of an ass of himself right now. He mentally slapped himself, shit, he needed to remedy this situation. He didn't give Maka the chance to reply and instead said, "And you're hot and beautiful and amazing in b─"

This was where he stopped himself and mourned the last shreds of his dignity disintegrating into ash. His cheeks flared, his palms grew sweaty and he could only watch Maka with an inept helplessness, not knowing how to interpret the expression on her face.

"Uh...thanks I guess," she said, lowering her gaze slightly. "And you're amazing in bed too...and you have a nice butt."

Okay, during his attempt to properly confess to his meister something had gone very very wrong, just not in the way he had perhaps expected it to happen. He was about to crack another lame joke because there was no way this conversation could return to its serious beginnings, but then Maka took a step back from him and took his hands into her own, eyes resolute and bright. She inhaled shakily.

"Soul, I don't know if I love you, but I care about you a lot and...and more than a friend does, more than a partner does. It's just that...that," she paused, eyes conflicted, her body tense, but the way she stroked her thumb over his knuckles was comforting. "I'm scared. I'm scared that a relationship would be a mistake, that it'd mess up everything between us."

His heart was in a frenzy, his stomach filled with a fluttery sensation. "We won't ever find out if we don't give it a try." His voice was thick and strained, full of hope.

"Yeah, I...know. And what if-what if I can't ever say I love you back? I don't want to hurt you and I..." she glanced down but she was still clutching his hands.

"I'm still willing to stick around...if it means I can be with you."

Her lips curled into a shy smile as she averted her eyes to the side, her cheeks tinted a rosy colour, her teeth buried in her plump bottom lip. He wanted to kiss her, hug her and hold her close, and because Soul couldn't wait any longer to save his life, he said, "So what do you say? Do you...do you want to give this a chance?"

Her grip tightened, threatening to crush his fingers but he bit back a wince, watching her closely, trying to decipher her emotions. He was surprised when she looked up, eyes at their most expressive, nearly taking his breath away.

"Okay." She nodded to herself, more to reassure herself than anything, and relaxed a little. "I think we can do this."

Soul was about to question the reality of the moment because he had been expecting more reluctance from her side, but now she was just okay with it. He couldn't believe his luck, couldn't believe how...easy it was, couldn't believe they had waited this long, couldn't believe that he could call her _his_ now, his girlfriend.

"R-really?" He breathed out, amazed and giddy and elated.

"Yes." She sounded as breathless as he did; her hands were shaking, but she looked happy. There were no second thoughts, no panic.

He pulled her to his chest, his arms winding around her small frame tightly, as he buried his face against her neck, inhaling her sweet scent, relishing in her warmth and the certainty with which she hugged him back. He was so happy he could cry, but of course, being the cool guy he was, he limited himself to a goofy grin as she snuggled against him.

"You know," she said after awhile, her voice slightly muffled against his shirt. She glanced up with a faint smile. "The thing you said about Black*Star and─"

He tensed up, mentally cursing himself. "Erm, don't worry, I'm not gonna throw a temper tantrum because you two are close or anything. That wouldn't be cool."

She lightly smacked him on his butt, making him yelp in surprise. Her shoulders shook with her restrained giggles. "Actually, I just wanted to tell you that I've wanted to slap every girl who wanted to talk to you who was not Tsubaki, Liz or Patti." She tightened her arms around his waist, eyes sliding shut, relaxed and comfortable. "I was jealous, too, even though you weren't my boyfriend. And I was scared that you'd get tired of me and would prefer one of those girls."

Her voice wavered with the admission, her throat feeling tight. It was difficult to admit it, but she guessed it was only fair if she told him what was going through her head lately, what made her behave the way she did. He scoffed, gently running his fingers through her hair, and it took her all not to purr like a spoiled cat. How could she have ever entertained the thought of shying away from his touch? There would be no more of that.

"What made you even think that I'd want to be with another girl?"

She had no answer to that. She shrugged, before she said, "Nothing you did. I was just paranoid."

Soul snorted, ruffling her hair. "You're an idiot," he said, making her pout. "As if they'd be cool enough."

Her heart fluttered and Maka smiled, but there was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes he didn't know how to interpret.

"Though if I remember correctly, you never had a problem of reminding me how uncool I am."

* * *

Hours later when they had decided to watch a movie and Soul looked back at the past weeks and months, it seemed very silly of them to have made such a big deal out of everything. Maybe it was too early to judge, but as they watched one zombie after another being blown up, lounging on the couch with Maka snuggled against his chest, he had been expecting...more dramatic changes. His confession had been perhaps kinda dramatic and his heart was still doing a fluttery dance of sorts in his chest and he felt immensely happy, but other than that, nothing particularly life-changing had occurred.

Even though it stung a little that Maka couldn't say that she loved him back, he was going to stand by what he had told her. After all, he had gotten away from his brother's shadow, and proven his own worth in a way by taking a chance. He'd take a chance with this relationship too. He was content, the weight of doubt and fear and uncertainty lifted from his mind and he was able to enjoy his time with Maka and call her his girlfriend. They had both agreed that terms like boyfriend/girlfriend didn't seem to do justice to what they had, but they didn't question the clearly romantic nature of their relationship now.

He loved how he could just touch her without worrying about driving her away, loved how she came to him and sought out his touch. He was giddy with elation and he hadn't been paying the movie any attention for the past 20 minutes anyway, so he promptly decided that her neck was more deserving of it. Her squeak when he lightly bit down on her skin made him chuckle, her body relaxing quickly after the initial shock wore off and she eased into his embrace more comfortably.

She sighed, pleased and content as she cocked her head to the side, giving him more neck to kiss and bite.

"Mmm, Soul? What should we do tomorrow?" she asked, her eyes sliding shut leisurely, and she gripped his wrists tightly when his fingers slithered underneath her top. She giggled, half heartedly smacking his arm in retaliation when his hand grazed her side, tickling her. "Seriously, Soul! How should we go on about it tomorrow in school?"

He froze, his blurry, horny mind clearing a little. "I dunno, I thought we'd just let everyone know?" He shrugged.

"Yeah, but..." she began uneasily, craning her neck to look into his eyes.

"But what?" Was he perhaps too forward to expect that they could just come out in the open with their newly found relationship? Soul didn't want to push her, but there was a twitch in his heart that felt like fear and a voice in the back of his head that whispered darkly, telling him she wasn't really comfortable with him and what they had and─

"─Soul!"

He flinched. "Huh?"

He was met with dazzling green eyes flashing with irritation and an indignant pout. She crossed her arms, and he almost had to laugh at the picture before she said, "Have you been listening to anything I said?"

"Uh..."

Maka heaved a heavy sigh, her shoulder sagging. "Look, even though it's probably gonna be awkward to tell the others, I have no problem with that. It's just that..." she paused, sighing again, holding her breath in longer than before, "...Papa."

Soul groaned, thumping his head against the backrest of the couch. In all his elation, he had completely forgotten about the crazy Deathscythe. He tiredly rubbed the side of his head, not ready at all to face Spirit Albarn and to tell him that he and Maka were in a relationship. It was true that they might have gained some sort of shaky respect for each other, but that sure as hell didn't mean that they could remain civil with each other for longer than ten minutes before the older deathscythe misinterpreted something Soul said.

Maka shifted in his lap and turned around to be able to look at him without having to endure an achy neck, and Soul became acutely aware how aroused he had become. He fidgeted awkwardly, hoping she wouldn't notice the slight tent in his pants. He automatically pressed his cheek more firmly into her hand as she gently stroked his skin.

She smiled, briefly glancing down. So briefly in fact, he wasn't sure if it was to gather her words or because she had noticed his dick calling for attention.

"I think we should tell my papa first before we walk hand in hand through the school and he gets to hear it from others," she said.

He nodded slowly, suppressing a shudder. "Yeah, okay. You do it!"

"What? I was hoping you'd be there with me to tell him."

"Urgh, Maka. Your dad doesn't like me that much. What do you think he's going to do to me if I sit with you there and tell him that we've been going at it like rabbits for the past...how many months again?"

Her eyes narrowed as she smacked his upper arm. "Idiot, we're NOT going to tell him that. Understood? We'll just tell him that we're in a relationship and be done with it."

"You make it sound so easy."

"Don't worry, I'll protect you if Papa tries to kill you." She stuck out her tongue playfully and laughed at his scoff.

"You aren't being very encouraging, you know that?"

She muffled her chuckles with her hand, her eyes almost twinkling. "I'd really appreciate it if you were with me there when I tell him, Soul."

"Oh nononononono, don't give me those eyes again. That's not fair!"

In response, she merely stuck out her bottom lip.

"Makaaaaa."

* * *

The next day came far too quickly for Soul's liking, and even though they refrained from holding hands, he couldn't help the chilling paranoia settling in his bones with every gaze that was directed their way. He knew he was being stupid and needlessly fretful as they were familiar gazes by familiar people. Maka smiled back at them, waving cheerfully, almost skipping up the stairs to the DWMA.

His hands in his pockets were clammy and he really wanted to turn on his heel and go home. Soul might have earned Spirit's grudging respect as a fellow weapon, and perhaps even his trust, but admitting to the elder Deathscythe that he was also his daughter's boyfriend now could not pass peacefully. Spirit was surely going to blow up on him, and if Soul was lucky, Maka might just manage to reign the crazy red-haired Deathscythe in with a well-placed Maka-Chop.

"Soul, are you okay?" Maka asked, her fingers grazing his elbow. He shot her a disgruntled glare, brow twitching as he barely refrained from huffing like a princess.

"What do you think?" he muttered, feeling even worse when her eyes softened in sympathy. "This might be my last day in the living world and you're asking me if I'm okay."

She rolled her eyes, sympathy gone. "Don't be so dramatic, Soul. My papa...can be...reasonable─" at his incredulous scowl, she added with a quieter voice, "─I mean...sometimes at least..." she groaned, letting her head hang in defeat, "Fine, he is a moron, an immature moron, but we'll do this Soul. And he won't be able to lay a hand on you while I'm there. And you know what, if...if you want I'd go through the same with your parents." She cringed.

"Um," was all he could say because right now he'd rather not be thinking about his parents at all and how nerve-wrackingly uneasy that would be. He shuddered and gave himself a mental shake, tearing his thoughts away from the imaginary parental gazes of judgment.

"I think...we should tell him after class, no? I don't think lunch break is long enough to deal with papa and his...dramatics," she said, biting her lip as she thoughtfully rubbed her chin. And it was small gestures like those that made him want to pull her towards his chest and find them some privacy, so they could cuddle...or have sex...or do both. He hadn't been aware of the lewd grin he was sporting until Maka pointed it out to him with a discreet poke against his ticklish side.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Soul."

He scoffed, snarky retort dancing at the tip of his tongue only to vanish when he spotted an unmistakable mop of red hair rounding the corner. He tensed up, his throat constricting as he struggled to breathe properly.

"MAKAAAAAAAAAA!"

He heard his meister groan under her breath as Spirit engulfed her in a bone crushing hug of exaggerated fatherly affection. Soul might have laughed at the scene if he the chilling dread in his blood didn't freeze him on the spot. He had to be inconspicuous, damn it! And it wasn't like he hadn't talked back to Spirit before or badmouthed him or insulted him to his face even, but in all those times, Spirit's accusations against him were unfounded and stupid. Now that he was indeed intimately involved with Maka...

Soul twitched in barely contained nervousness as the deathscythe released his daughter, cooing over how beautiful she was today as usual. Maka tolerated this with a wry smile, unimpressed, and patted her father on his arm.

"Sorry Papa, we have to go to class," she gritted out, withdrawing her hand as if burned by fire. Spirit's eyes grew watery, and Maka hastily amended, "But how about I come to you after school? Soul and I have something to...um, tell you."

What the─

He stared at his meister dubiously, tempted to slap his head. The less than cryptic sentence was enough to change Spirit's countenance immediately. Narrowed blue eyes studied Maka first and then Soul, who tried his best not to let his tenseness seep through, making his slouch more pronounced and his eyes look more bored than ever. Soul couldn't help but feel like he was being sniffed by some police dog at the moment.

"I'd love to see you today, Maka," Spirit said, his face lighting up again, but unveiled doubt flickered in his eyes as he straightened himself, and for a moment, he truly looked liked the superior deathscythe he was.

"See you, Papa," Maka mumbled demurely, heaving a sigh when Spirit stepped into a classroom nearby.

"I think...he might have gotten suspicious, but you did a crap job of acting normal," Soul said snidely.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"You suck at lying and acting."

"I know, Soul!"

"And while we're at it, I think I─"

"Forget it, you're coming with me."

He groaned.

* * *

Soul had never been in Deathscythe's office that often to begin with and having to sit there now, waiting for his arrival, was worse than he could have imagined. His hands were clammy with sweat and he tried to dry them somewhat, rubbing his palms against his pants. He couldn't fathom how this confrontation could pass peacefully, but even he couldn't deny that it was necessary.

Spirit entered the office with a skip in his steps, smiling brightly at his daughter while he pointedly didn't acknowledge Soul's presence. Soul sighed, getting smaller and smaller in his seat. Maka endured her father's cooing and praises with a blank face, and Soul was impressed with how she managed not to knock Spirit over the head.

As soon as Deathscythe was seated, Maka didn't beat around the bush. She took a deep breath.

"Papa, Soul and I are together, and yes, this means romantically together and no, I won't think about breaking up with him, and I just want to make sure that you don't try to kill him because of this. Also we do hold hands...and...kiss."

Soul flinched, hands halfway raised in case Spirit did jump over the table to attack him, but he only sat there frozen, still as a statue. He didn't know what was more unsettling. Seeing Spirit scream and refuse to give his blessings and froth from the mouth were things Soul had been expecting, but not this deadly silence that seemed to be more foreboding than any shouting matches could have been. Soul gulped, willing his dread to stay down.

Spirit blinked once, twice. He put his hands on the table as Soul fought the urge to jump. Deathscythe's fists were clenched tightly, his forearms tense and almost shaking.

"You and Soul?" he asked, though it sounded less like an inquiry and more like a statement with a clumsy questionmark tagged on in the end.

Maka hesitated for a moment before she nodded. Spirit hung his head, red strands of hair hiding his eyes. He breathed in deeply and looked up, blue eyes cold and piercing. Soul had to bite back a yelp because he had never seen Spirit Albarn looking so fucking scary before. There were no traces of the goofy, pathetic man left, and Soul could safely claim for the first time that he could remember, Spirit definitely looked the part of THE Deathscythe. If that was how he faced his enemies regularly, Soul was sure that any pre-kishin that had the misfortune of being confronted by Spirit wouldn't last longer in battle than a few seconds, which it would probably spend trying to run away.

Was this how pre-kishin felt like whenever they were about to be slain? If they weren't soul-eating monsters, Soul might have been inclined to feel sorry for them.

"Yes, Papa. Soul and I are together. And I thought it would be the best to let you know first. I don't want you to go around and threaten Soul or anything," Maka said, sounding less confident than before. She bit her lips, her fingers clenching into the material of her skirt.

Spirit inhaled harshly. "I understand," he said, teeth clenched. He eyed Maka first, his gaze softening and then Soul, who received no such treatment. "I had been wondering, you know," he continued, leaning back on his chair, carefully placing his arms on top of the armrest, still looking very tense and ready for an attack. A picture of poorly faked casualness. "There was something...different about you two this morning." His eyes narrowed, blue slits of suspicion. "I can't explain it but─" he deflated with a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

Suddenly, it was as if Deathscythe had aged in one moment. The slight wrinkles on his face seemed more pronounced; Soul couldn't actually remember an instance where Spirit had looked his age or even slightly wrinkled.

"Yes, you are old enough...and it's okay with me."

Maka gasped, eyes widening. "Really?" she breathed, smiling. "I mean, thank you for not giving us trouble."

"Yes, it's fine, Maka," Spirit returned her smile but it looked strained and faker than Black*Star's brief instances of humility. "Can I speak with Soul for a moment? Alone?"

"Why would you want that?" she asked suspiciously, voice wary.

Spirit cleared his throat, put his hands on the table in front of him again, looking marginally more relaxed. "There's something I need to discuss with him alone."

"I'm not sure if that's─"

"It's alright, Maka," Soul cut in, inwardly shaking and kicking himself because what the hell was he even thinking? He was running blindly, maybe not so blindly, into Spirit's trap. He patted Maka's hand, grinned wryly. "You can go already."

She looked uncertain, her gaze flitting from her father to him. She questioned him silently, asking if he really was going to be okay because the last thing they needed was a fight between the two deathscythes. Soul reassured her again that all would be good, even if he doubted that somewhat. Spirit didn't look particularly murderous, kind of neutral actually, but his mouth twitched when Maka stood up and bade them goodbye, leaning down towards Soul, making him believe for a moment that she might peck him on the cheek, only to pull away in the last second, and left quietly.

"So," Spirit began, steepling his fingers, eye hard. "I just want to tell you all the things a father has to tell the boyfriend of his daughter: treat her well and don't hurt her, or I'll make you pay for it."

Soul opened his mouth, ready to defend himself because he'd never hurt Maka. Soul wasn't like Spirit, so he might as well save himself the words, but was promptly cut off as Spirit added, "Now that that's out of the way, I just want to tell you be careful, Soul."

"Careful about what?"

"You are sleeping with my daughter, yes?"

Soul spluttered, his mouth a fountain of_nos_ and_uhs_ and _whats_ because, urgh, he did not know what to think anymore. Spirit seemed completely unfazed by his reaction and spoke on without pressing for a proper response. "I know that a lot of weapon-meister partnerships become physical. Not always, but often. Just make sure not to get her pregnant."

"Uhhh."

"I love my daughter dearly, but having a kid at a young age is...difficult. Maka is probably the only good thing that came from me, but really, if you want children, wait until you're older. You should make sure to use contraception. Are you familiar with all the types of contraception, Soul?"

"I am. What is this about? I don't plan on having kids anytime soon," Soul muttered, aghast. Whatever he had been expecting from Spirit Albarn, this was not it. Definitely not.

"I wasn't planning it either, you brat. Now listen," he hissed, leaning in close. "Never, ever think that you might be safe when she forgets to take the pill and you don't wear a condom afterwards. You will not be safe. Never drink so much that you don't know what's going on around you."

Soul just wanted to become a part of his chair right now. He sank back in his seat, unable to say anything because the only thing that his mouth could produce right now was unintelligible crap.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes," Soul replied meekly, hoping Maka would become worried enough to come back for him.

* * *

A week had passed since that harrowing hour with Spirit lecturing Soul about how not to get his daughter pregnant. If he had to guess, Soul would assume some deep-seeded issues from Spirit's own teenage years made him act so weirdly. Whatever made the Deathscythe go all here-let-me-give-the-talk-about-the-birds-and-bees -but-not-quite, Soul was just happy it was over.

Their friends, much to both of their surprise, reacted to the big reveal a lot more calmly than expected. Well, as calm as their friends could be. Tsubaki was happy for them, Kid congratulated them and Patti began to sing a bawdy song about what Soul and Maka were doing on a tree, which ought to be impossible to do in one. Liz had hugged them fiercely, shouting "Finally!" only to tell them how much of a hell it had been to keep secrets from Kid and Patti. Black*Star had been the least enthusiastic one. He had eyed them warily and pulled Soul aside after the others had been distracted enough.

The blue whirlwind of stupidity and god-complexes had slapped him on the shoulder, indiscreetly congratulated him how Soul was getting some now, only to have his jovial facade slip.

"_I__will__crush__your__nuts__if__you__make__a__wrong__move__and__end__up__hurting__her__, __bro__,"_ Black*Star had said, his grin wide and murderous and strained.

It wasn't like Soul needed Black*Star to tell him not to hurt Maka. As if he'd honestly want to hurt Maka.

"Soul?" Maka said, voice quiet and meek, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Can we talk?"

His eye twitched. "Please, don't tell me that─"

"No, I'm not breaking up with you." She pursed her lips and crossed her arms, glaring indignantly, only to roll her eyes later. She seated herself next to him, her legs folded beneath her as she made herself comfortable. Now he was curious after that little heart attack she gave him. He still wanted to bitch at her for coming at him with a type of the notorious We Need To Talk line. How could he not expect some kind of imminent heartbreak after that?

As smoothly as this whole official couple thing was going so far, there was still that lingering doubt in his heart, that she might never love him back, that...he shook his head, bored eyes focusing on her fidgeting hands and then on her face.

"What is it, Maka?"

She bit her lip, distressed and uncertain before she forced the words out of her mouth in a single breath. She bowed her head, the tips of her ears tinting red. He blinked dubiously.

"I didn't get anything you said. Could you...repeat that?" Maka groaned loudly, slumping against his chest. His hands unconsciously wrapped around her, patting her back.

"Urgh, I don't want to repeat it!"

"Looks like you have to or we won't be having this conversation."

"I know. Fine!" She sighed and sat up more straightly. "Soul, I was thinking that...maybe, maybe try something else?"

"Huh?" Before he could say more, she was already blabbering, embarrassed and determined at once to get it all out.

"I mean try something out new during sex-oh, don't give me that grin, _Soul_."

He couldn't wipe the grin off his face even if he tried; instead he waggled his eyebrows, unabashedly invading her personal bubble. "Oho, what kind of new things were you thinking of?"

Her lips twitched, her smile small and gone in an instant. She blushed prettily and gave him that coy little look from beneath her eyelashes. She bit her lip and he found his throat turning dry.

"Well, I was thinking about─" her flush deepened, and she started to fiddle with her fingers, adding with a slightly wavering voice, "bondage?"

His tongue felt too thick for his mouth, like cotton, as he gulped. It was embarrassing how this was already enough to affect him, his dick twitching treacherously. He willed himself to keep a calm head. He couldn't believe it, couldn't fathom how this woman found new ways to make him happy.

"I mean, I'd not want any hard stuff, just some...light bondage. And we could take turns...if you want," she muttered meekly.

"Sounds good to me," he said gruffly, his imagination already providing him some delightful pictures of things to come.

"Great!" She clapped her hands together happily, smiling brightly, relieved. And then her eyes sparked they usually did whenever she was about to start homework or take an exam, confident about her success, determined to ace all the exams. He didn't quite know what to think about being looked at as if he was a lot of work to get through. Oh, who was he kidding. He loved it and he couldn't wait to try all of her new naughty ideas out. "First, we need a safe word."

Soul choked on his spit before he regained his control. "Right."

"How about_bananas_?"

"What?" He stared at her, trying to gauge if she was being serious. Deciding that yes, she was indeed serious about making their safe word _bananas_, he let out a snort, chuckling a little. "You're sure about that?"

She pouted. "Well it has to be something that should be easily distinguishable from words that can be given a sexual meaning and context."

"And...you don't think bananas can't be given a sexual context?"

"What do you mean?"

He coughed, looking to the side when he said, "Well, just look at the shape and...yeah."

"Oh." She blinked, smiling teasingly. "Don't worry, I don't think I'd ever call your penis a banana."

The look he gave her was unimpressed at best. "Maka," he sighed, "It's a terrible safe word!"

"It's not!"

"It so is!"

"Do you have a better idea, jerk?" She crossed her arms, eyes blazing.

"Yeah, I do. _Apples_ is one."

"Are you kidding me?! How is that better than bananas?"

"Anything is better than bananas."

"Urgh, you're impossible."


End file.
